All Grows Dark
by Alicia Olivia Mirza
Summary: The Pevensies have been back in England for years, but they still long to see Narnia again. They are in a surprise though - Narnia comes to them instead! The definition of time and reality is questioned when they are faced with Narnians who should be long dead. Is the Golden Age back? Aslan is certainly keeping them on toes. [AU-ish/bookverse/post-TSC/Pevensie-fic/no pairings]
1. I - The Portal

**Author's note: This is my first fanfiction in this fandom, so sorry for the mistakes and please point them out to me. This is not exactly a very creative and unique idea, I have read several similar story lines here as well, but I'm quite sure this is going in another direction than those do/did. Still, if someone finds ideas in my story which are quite similar to his/her own, then I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to steal anyone's work. Though, for example the appearance of the portal came from W.I.T.C.H., so I have many sources, not just my own imagination, I believe.**

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 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the OCs. The world of Narnia was created by C. S. Lewis and I'm just borrowing his characters and settings for my readers' and my own enjoyment. Also, some of the characters and ideas belong to Disney and Walden Media.**_

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 **ALL GROWS DARK**

 _"Home isn't where you're from, it's where you find light when **all grows dark**."― Pierce Brown, Golden Son_

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 **Summary:** The Pevensies have been back in England for years now, but they still long to see Narnia again. They are in a surprise though - Narnia comes to them instead! The definition of time and reality is questioned when they are faced with Narnians who should be long dead. Is the Golden Age back? Aslan is certainly keeping them on toes.

 **Idea:** A portal opens between Narnia and England, this time though it goes public, so the two universes/worlds get to know (about) each other. Time and reality is rather complicated though, espeically when it comes to Narnia, so even the Pevensies are to be surprised. _The route of Aslan is inscrutable after all._

 **Time:** It takes place in September in 1945 after World War II has ended.

 **Universe:** Mostly books, and all books except for The Last Battle has happened already. However, a bit of the movies' ideas or characters might find their way into the story (for example Oreius is going to be a rather important character, though he is not in the novels.) This also means that when there is canon appearance written down in the books then they will look like that in this story as well, for example Lucy is blonde and Susan is black-haired. However, I will admit, it was a long time ago that I've read some of the books, so my knowledge could be rusty in certain topics, I will try to stay canon though.

 _Note: Most probably the story will end up as an AU, because if one really wants to see it that way then it can take place before and stay still somehow canon to The Last Battle, but one truly has to have a creative imagination for that and most will simply find that the ending will go against what is considered canon because of the last book. So when I say that this story is canon and bookverse I only mean the first six books, TMN, LWW, HHB, PC, VoDT, TSC._

 **Main characters:** Peter P. (18), Susan P. (17), Edmund P. (15), Lucy P. (13), Eustace S. (12), Jill P. (12), Narnians, Professor Kirke, the parents of the Pevensies, etc.

 **Rating:** Most certainly not darker or harsher than the books. And those are labelled children books...

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 _"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."_ _― Dr. Seuss_

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 **I. The Portal**

Lucy swiftly entered the Great Hall right behind a couple of chattering girls from her year group. The Great Hall was in fact rather big, but it wasn't exactly great as it was pretty plain without much decoration. The tables were all old and have seen much, while the walls were from one type of stone, rough and monotone. She has seen it so many times though, that she didn't even pay attention to her surroundings. As always her eyes first shifted towards the table in the far back where Susan and she mostly sat together, but she didn't catch the beautiful long dark hair of her sister or even her sparkling blue eyes. She tilted her head and scanned the hall while moving forward towards the ladies who handed their portion out, but for the first few seconds she just couldn't find her older sibling.

With sinking heart she turned towards the table in the centre of attention where the oldest and most popular students sat. She was not entirely surprised to see her sister with her head tilted back laughing hard while the entire table was in a complete uproar, everyone with a jolly expression. It has happened more and more since Lucy first started attending at the age of nine. Then, freshly back from their reign in Narnia and their adventure with Prince Caspian the two sisters were inseparable, but with no hope for the Pevensies to ever return Susan drifted further and further from the other three siblings, separating herself from them at every possible turn.

"Hey, come on, Lu!" After receiving her supper, one of her friends, Jane, a small thing with shockingly red hair and surprisingly big green eyes grabbed her hand and led her to a fairly empty table which was quickly filling up with their year group. The group started talking about one of their classes, philosophy perhaps, but Lucy couldn't keep up with the conversation. Her eyes again and again found the table where her sister was sitting. She was so distracted that she only realized that she was addressed and in the centre of attention when her name came up.

"Lucy! Oh, do not be bothered by her, Lu. She is not worth it. My sister was just like her, but now she is gone and I feel a whole lot better. Susan won't be here next year either," another one of her friends, a blonde like Lucy stated somewhat passionately in her high-pitched voice, but Lucy hardly felt any better by that even though the girl obviously thought that she was helping. Lucy felt that she was thousands of miles away from Susan even if she was sitting only a few tables away. What was going to happen next year when they were separated by real distance as well?

A few tears stung the edges of her eyes when she remembered another version of Susan at the same age as this was now, at seventeen. They have been in Narnia for five years then. It was one of their rules that as long as they were in Narnia, not the country but the entire universe itself, and not in some battle or on a diplomatic journey separately; they always eat their supper together no matter what happened. Mostly just the four of them, but sometimes a bigger group of Narnian friends or even foreign dignitaries joined them. In England though, everything was different. Peter has just started university in Scotland, while the rest of them were still attending their boarding schools in England. It meant though, that during the school year Lucy hardly saw any of her siblings other than Susan, who might as well have been a stranger.

"Yes, she is certainly the type to get married right out of school. You won't even have to meet her later on if you don't want to," another girl, this time from the far edge of the long table, added. Her voice didn't have an edge; she simply spoke as if it was a fact, not an argument. The Susan Lucy wished to see again was nothing like the girl they were talking about. No, her sister refused to marry Prince Rabadash, the son of the Tisroc of Calormen ( _may he live for ever, hah!_ ) just because he was ridiculous, even though he was to succeed his father on the throne, because his father certainly did die sooner or later no matter how many times a day the wish for his eternal life was repeated.

"I-I'm not feeling hungry. I'm going up to my room," Lucy suddenly said and she pushed the plate out of her sight. Some of her friends looked at her with clear pity in their eyes, but they soon continued their conversation after a few 'Get better!' and 'I hope you are not coming down with something.' When she took back her tray (earning some rather nasty looks from the staff for not eating her portion when the war has just ended and the country was most certainly not exactly economically stable), she deliberately chose the route which led her though right next to her sister's table.

As always, Susan dominated the conversation. Her sister might have denied their years as royalties, but she most certainly hasn't lost her poise of a queen. No, she held herself in such a way and spoke in a manner that it was hard not to pay attention to her. Her topics were concentrated around fashion and boys mainly instead of battle strategy and international diplomacy, but her conversational skills didn't deteriorate at all. Lucy herself couldn't help but slow down as she passed the table of the senior students and listen to her sister. She tried to catch the eyes of her sister, but Susan didn't even look in her way. For a moment she thought about speaking up and calling out, but she had a feeling that this new Susan wouldn't like that very much. _This new_ Susan didn't like her much, period.

Instead she passed the table as quietly as possible, keeping her eyes down, not wanting to see the joy on her sister's face while she felt so bad herself. She retraced her steps and left the entire building rather quickly. She noted a few concerned look on her mates' faces when she was again in their sight, but no one called out to her, not that she minded it. It has been for a long time coming, but today it felt like it was just too much. During the summer holiday the others were around, she even spent a week or two with her cousin Eustace and his friend, Jill. She was never alone, but since coming back to school she felt that no matter how many friends she had – because Lucy certainly was a sociable person who easily had everyone's good opinion – she was utterly alone. Her friends couldn't quite understand her, all they saw was a thirteen-year-old, just as they were, and they never knew the twenty-three-year-old queen. Every time a new topic of conversation came up she had to force herself to think through whatever she wanted to say, because most probably it had something to do with Narnia. It was nerve-wrecking.

The Great Hall was in fact an entire building which had four entrances on the four sides, but all of them led outside. Lucy chose the one which was closest to her dorm building as she always did. Summer was still in the air as a not quite long faded memory, but it was getting colder each day. She found it rather freshening though, so she didn't quicken her pace at all, instead she looked around as if she has never been to the school ground before. It wasn't exactly beautiful, but she loved nature even if it was in a rather awkward state, somewhere between wild and forced tame. It was nothing to the green of the Narnian forests, but a lot better than the stuffy Great Hall or the lonely and airless dorms.

While her feet knew the route to her dorm without thinking, she wanted to linger in the open air some more, so she randomly started walking in an entirely different direction. The entire school ground was dotted with buildings. All year groups had their own building, so every year they were moved to another part of the ground. She wasn't exactly surprised that her direction was in fact the dorm of Year One. At that time the idea of boarding school was rather strange – not because she was missing her mother and father, but because she was missing Narnia and her brothers. Still, Susan was at her side and the so many new faces and unknown rules distracted her from the ache of broken heart. At that time though, she knew that she would see Narnia again, now she didn't even have that and she found everything rather grey.

She was once again lost in her thoughts, which happened more and more recently, even though she was usually the type to be aware of her surroundings and be ready for new adventures. _Gunfire_. Now that woke her up. She needed only a fraction of a second to start running in the direction. It also helped that many people were shouting at the same time. The voices came from the other side of Year One dorm. The building was rather big and very brown, not an exciting sight at all as it was even plainer than the Great Hall. She slowed a bit down knowing that she didn't have her dagger or bow with her, she was practically defenceless in the body of a just-turned-teenager, so she was not exactly up to a fight. She looked around and was happy to notice that during the last storm a thick branch of a tree has fallen down and instead of being taken by the maintenance staff, it was thrown to the edge of the building. She quietly picked it up and grabbed it with two hands something akin to holding a baseball bat. Now even the shouting has calmed down, so she actually heard what it was about as before so many were doing it at the same time that not one word could be understood.

"STOP!"

"This is private area!"

"WHO ARE YOU?"

"WHAT ARE YOU?"

"What are you doing here?"

Not that it helped Lucy much as she had no idea what this was about. She tiptoed closer to the edge of the building and leaned a bit out with the branch still in her hands. Her heart was throbbing in her rib cage and she felt a rush of adrenalin. The last time she had felt anything like that was during her adventures on the deck of the _Dawn Treader_. How long that has been? It truly felt like a life time, though it wasn't more than three years ago. Still, then she was Queen Lucy the Valiant and now she felt that she was no more than Lucy Pevensie, a student of Saint Finbar's.

"We are not a danger to any of you," she heard a voice which seemed rather familiar. It was strong and booming, but at the same time had a polite tone and whoever it was certainly knew how to calm others down. Lucy herself didn't quite feel herself in danger anymore.

"What's that?" The answer was rather different, very grumpy and not at all reassuring.

"We don't know either. One of my subjects found it and it was reported to me." _Subjects?_ The term was so familiar and heartbreaking to Lucy that she couldn't help, but to take the last few steps which led her to the edge of the building. Now when she leaned forward she caught sight of what was happening.

A loud shriek left her mouth in surprise, but the reason of it was rather different than it would have been for anyone else. What she first noticed was a light blue shimmering in the form of a circle. Then her brain started working overboard – she noticed how four men were standing on the four sides of the strange blue energy circle and how they all had some type of weapon in their hands, one even had a more random and makeshift one than she did, but one had a gun in his hand. Obviously he has shot. Only then did she realize _what_ he shot. Two people were standing in the circle of the four men – or at least _people_ by Narnian definition, as by the English one they were no more than circus freaks or zoo animals. One was a brown Hare, but by the size of it and human-like muttering and crying Lucy immediately knew that it was a Talking Beast. It was the poor dear to be shot, and she even saw the ruby of its blood dripping from its fur. Then her sight has shifted. She immediately knew why the commanding voice was familiar – _Oreius_ , the centaur. But that couldn't be! He was the General of Aslan's Army during the _Winter Revolution_ , which happened more than a thousand years before Caspian's reign. She even met his distant descendant Glenstorm during the Narnian Revolution. Maybe even more time has passed in her beloved country and Glenstorm had some descendants who looked and sounded just like Oreius?

The rather thick branch fell with a _thud_ sound and it didn't exactly surprise her when all in attendance; all six of the strange party looked in her direction forgetting for a moment that they were at each other's throat. Many things have happened at the same time. She noted that what seemed like suddenly to her many noises came from the other direction. Most certainly many have finished with their supper and those whose dorms were in this direction were getting closer and closer. One of the men shouted in her direction as well. "Get away from here, little girl!"

But what surprised her the most, was a lot more familiar and feminine voice. "Lucy? What are you doing here?" She saw that not far from her Susan appeared. For a moment she was confused and then she realized that right next to Year One was the dorm of her sister. She most probably left something in her room and that was why she came all alone before the others in her year. "I thought I told you that my dorm is off limit," she said when she came even closer. Lucy shot a look backwards and noted that the six people were in that moment joined by a woman from the other side that Lucy recognized even from such an angle and distance. _The Headmistress._ She was a stocky woman with thick lenses and shockingly white hair in a perfect bun.

Before Lucy could see what was happening Susan was right beside her and grabbed her hand. Lucy was about to speak up, but a bigger group of Year One students arrived just around the corner and watched them curiously.

"Come with me, Lu. Not here," Susan hissed and Lucy followed her with sinking heart. It wasn't like that she could have gone closer to the centaur and Hare with the Headmistress and those men around, but she wanted Susan to see it. But she didn't know how she could tell her and show it to her without alerting the entire group of giggling little girls and getting in trouble with the leadership of the school. Still, the idea of not getting closer seemed unimaginable. It has been three years without any real contact to Narnia (if she didn't count Eustace's and Jill's story of the Rilian business). In England she has never felt closer to the world she loved so much. What if that shimmering blue portal – because it couldn't be anything else, right – wasn't there the next time she was here? What if the centaur and the Talking Beast left England without even knowing that her siblings and she were here in this time and place?

She knew that if something like this happened to anyone else their first reaction would be that they were dreaming. But Lucy was certainly different in that aspect. Narnia existed and she most certainly knew that many different gates between the two worlds opened from time to time. It was most certainly Aslan's plan, she concluded. There must have been a reason why it opened in the ground of the school Susan and she attended as well. No, this was the pure reality not the fragment of her imagination or even a dream. If it was either of those two she most certainly would be in Narnia by now.

She simply followed Susan, who bypassed the dorm building of her year group and when they arrived to a bench under a tree on the other side of the dorm she motioned to Lucy to sit down. Lucy did exactly as she was instructed to do.

"Look, Lu, I thought we talked about this. You have your friends and I have mine, so why are you always in my shadow? Emily mentioned that even during supper you were watching me constantly," Susan stated firmly and Lucy nodded half-heartedly, her mind a few buildings away with two Narnians. "Next year I am not going to be here – get used to it. That is life. We are growing up." Lucy couldn't keep a straight face at that.

"We were all grown up during the Golden Age and yet you still had time to talk to me _then_ ," she remarked with a bit of an edge, quite venomously. She was most certainly a kind and soft-spoken girl, but there was a reason why she was called Queen Lucy the _Valiant_. She was not about to listen to Susan's impossible ramblings when Narnia has just came to them as she always wished it would happen. (Well, she wished to _go_ to Narnia, but most certainly that portal worked in both ways.)

"Not your game again, Lu!" Susan cried out, but that moment Lucy cared not about her sister's theatrics. An idea came into her mind – what if the portal really worked in both ways? Simply running through it could take her to Narnia! She got up from the bench where they were both sitting and started running to the direction of the portal without thinking.

"LUCY!" her sister shouted after her and she was surprised to hear that Susan was following her. All the best, she thought. If Susan was to come through the portal with her then she could hardly continue to deny the existence of Narnia. Not to mention that the two of them together had a bigger chance of getting Peter and Edmund back as well where they belonged and maybe Eustace and Jill if they wanted to come. (And well, who wouldn't want to be in Narnia once they were introduced to its thrills and beauty?)

"Lu! Why – are – you – running? And – where?" Susan obviously wasn't in shape. She kept her slim waistline with not eating instead of doing sports, Lucy remarked. On the other hand running and all type of motion was the only thing that kept her sane in England. Jogging on the fresh air reminded her most of Narnia during the school year at Saint Finbar's. She bypassed Susan's dorms and found herself in sight of the portal. However, the same moment her eyes met the Headmistress's.

"STOP!" she was commanded and for a fleeting moment she slowed down, but then she started running again. Unlike Susan, who she noted after looking back for a second, stopped running and leaned against a tree while breathing hard. She couldn't catch the expression on her sister's face so she didn't know if Susan recognized the centaur or even realized what the portal and the two Narnians meant. She was rather close now to the group, but was abruptly stopped by one of the man. This one had a crowbar in his hand and when he caught Lucy her right arm was hurt by the tool.

She was covered by the man so she couldn't know if the centaur even found her familiar. If it was really the general of the Golden Age it still didn't mean much, because while he certainly knew her when she was even younger, when he last saw her she was twenty-three, and she looked a lot different from how she did now. She did catch sight of Susan though, who was half-hidden by the same tree she leaned into before. Susan looked a lot like her twenty-seven-year-old self even at seventeen, but most certainly this way the centaur wouldn't be able to recognize her from such a distance.

"I will get her to a teacher myself. You wait here for the police and I will be back in a moment," the Headmistress, Mrs Andrews stated to the four men. The man with the crowbar let Lucy go, but before she could even turn towards the Narnians she was forcefully removed from the scene.

"ASLAN!" she shouted, and she heard that the two Narnians started talking between themselves while the human men tried to stop them. For a fleeting moment she saw the centaur's expression which was bewildered. She wondered if he was simply surprised that someone here, on this side of the portal knew one of the names of the Great Lion or he had an inkling who she really was (in Narnia, because in England she really was no more than she looked like – a school girl).

"Your name is Miss Pevensie, is it not?" the Headmistress asked as they got far away from the portal. Lucy confirmed that it really was her name and wondered how Mrs Andrews even knew it. She mostly wasn't the type to get into trouble and while her grades were good and she was smarter than the average, she made no big display of it; she usually liked to keep in the background when it came to England. Once they reached Susan who was still standing behind the tree where Lucy last saw her, the Headmistress motioned to her as well.

"Whatever the two of you think you have seen, it most certainly didn't happen, understood?" she asked them on their way to wherever she was leading the two sisters. Lucy looked at Susan now, wondering what was on the mind of her sister. While Susan was hidden from the sight of the Narnians, they weren't from hers. Did she give upon her new idea that Narnia was just a game they played? Was this enough for her to realize that those fifteen years did happen? Would she want to go back to Narnia just as much as Lucy did? Did her faith in Aslan return?

Susan's expression was hard to read though. She simply nodded when the Headmistress spoke up and because Lucy was most certainly not in the mood to quarrel with a grown-up did the same. For a second she imagined telling the Headmistress everything and asking her to take her back to the portal, but the same moment she realized that no matter what she said the Headmistress wouldn't believe her, not without being backed by the Narnians themselves and she had a strong inkling that she wouldn't be taken to them. Not to mention that if in fact that centaur was only a descendant of the great generals she knew then it would take rather long to get the two Narnians to accept her claim of being Queen Lucy, the Valiant, one of the Queens of Old. What if so much time has passed since the Prince Rilian case that no one even remembered the Golden Age of Narnia?

"Oh, you are hurt, Lu," Susan suddenly said noticing the ruby drops of blood tickling their way down on her right arm. Lucy simply shrugged being used to much bigger injuries. However, the Headmistress seemed troubled by the revelation. She clearly hasn't noticed it before.

"I am going to take you to the Infirmary. Once you are taken care though, you are going to get your luggage together and leave with the other girls," the Headmistress stated and Susan abruptly stopped walking.

"Leave with the other girls?" she asked and then added "Ma'am." The Headmistress gestured for her to keep walking and Susan did what she was told to, but she still looked at the lady with questioning expression. Not that it was such a big surprise in Lucy's opinion. The police was called as well after all. The teachers must have been afraid that the portal wouldn't close on its own in the near future. Also, they didn't know how peaceful the Narnians usually are, they must have been afraid that they were a danger to the students of the school.

"Yes, for a while," was the only thing the Headmistress offered as a reply to the girls. The moment she noticed another teacher, Mr Oakley who taught literature and English language, she asked him to accompany the girls to the Infirmary (after Susan stated that she most certainly wouldn't leave her injured sister behind). Mr Oakley a rather sick and stick-looking old man was more than confused when he first heard about the lockdown.

"All the students leave? They have just arrived," he exclaimed, but a look from the Headmistress shut him up. Lucy looked at Susan, who still didn't say anything concerning what they have seen.

"It's real, you know?" she muttered to her sister when Mr Oakley was explaining something enthusiastically to Mrs Andrews. Susan didn't look at her for a few seconds, but then the two pairs of blue eyes, so similar to each other, met.

"What?" Susan asked half-heartedly. She tried to pretend that she didn't even know what Lucy was talking about, but Lucy knew her sister just a bit too well to fall for that.

"We were told that we wouldn't go back to Narnia, so _Narnia came to us_ ," Lucy replied with a faraway look. For a brief moment she noted that Susan's expression softened, but then the older sister looked away.

"You heard the Headmistress – we haven't seen anything." However, Lucy knew that deep down Susan didn't agree with her statement. For the first time in at least a year, she felt that there was still some hope for her sister.


	2. II - The Escape

**Author's note: I'm rather enthuasiastic about this story as you see, I had to post the second chapter! Oh, Peter and Edmund come in a few chapters (okay, probably in two), until then I fear you will have to do with the girls.**

 **Thank you for all reading &following&favouriting. Special thanks to ****Quihi,** **Justaperson and** **BlueRosette23 for reviewing!**

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 _"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." ― Aldous Huxley, Complete Essays 2, 1926-29_

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 **II. The Escape**

Susan couldn't quite meet her sister's sweet blue eyes that looked at her with such passion and longing. She knew exactly what Lucy wanted to hear – that she saw the centaur as well and that the rabbit was most certainly a Talking Beast only native to Narnia. The truth was that it was exactly what Susan thought, but she tried to put that thought out of her head. That was just a big hare, larger than the usual and she most certainly didn't see that horse-like creature well. The swirling blue energy which formed a circle? Just a fragment of her imagination or at least there must have been a great scientific explanation to it. There was no such thing as magic after all.

Still, deep down she knew well that magic existed – even if not in this universe. However, she and her siblings were cut off from that magical land for the rest of their lives. There was no going back, so why long for something that wouldn't happen? She decided to live a completely normal life which lacked any form of universe-travel or magic. Blue portal-like things were not in her five-years-plan or even ever-plans.

"Come along, ladies," Mr Oakley gestured towards the Infirmary and the Headmistress bid good-bye with a strict look that said 'no funny business'. Susan was somewhat surprised that her ever brave and passionate little sister didn't speak up. She somehow expected a complete lecture on the Narnian history and culture, maybe even some kind of presentation – archery maybe? However, Lucy remained silent and followed the teacher without a question.

"You are silent, Lu," she fell back in line with Lucy who walked rather slowly especially considering her usual speed. She was the whirlwind type of person, who was everywhere at the same moment, so seeing her so _slow_ meant something bad, really bad. Surely her arm didn't hurt that much? She was such a wild child that she frequently got injured when she was younger not even counting her escapades and adventures in Narnia.

"Just thinking," she replied eventually and their eyes met again. Once more it was Susan to end the connection, and she swiftly looked away. She fixed her eyes on the jolly little man who was leading them. More and more girls were outside and it started to look like a beehive, Susan noted.

"Hey, Su, where are you going?" One of her best friends, Emily appeared out of nowhere. She was a rather pretty girl with light brown straight long hair, nearly as long as Susan's was in another lifetime. "Haven't you heard about the lockdown?" Mr Oakley stopped for a moment and looked at Emily with a confused expression.

"Miss Smith?" he asked and Emily nodded. "What on Earth are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your year group?" he asked and Emily gestured towards Susan.

"Miss Pevensie is escorting her sister to the Infirmary. Shortly she will be in your dorm. Now, why don't you go on?" Susan's friend still entirely confused nodded and after a quick good-bye she left the rather strange group. Susan noticed that Emily joined their friends who were all standing under a tree not far away and were looking at them curiously.

"Mr Oakley, why is the school shut, sir? Why do we have to go home?" Lucy asked softly in an entirely too sweet tone. It was the voice Lucy always used when she wanted something from grown-ups. It didn't surprise Susan at all that even when her sister was already thirteen it still worked on teacher no less. For a moment Mr Oakley was hesitant, but then he smiled at Lucy reassuringly. Susan had a feeling that grown-up Lucy would still be able to do her charm and magic on any adult in the future as well.

"Do not worry, Miss Pevensie. The war is over and the so awaited peace has come. I know that such a thing as this would frighten someone like you who had to grow up in wartime, but I assure you that this is nothing serious. I am sure that in a few days time you will be back in school and it will be like this little affair has never taken place. You know, adults are simply a bit jumpy after everything that has happened in the last years," he stated, not that it fooled either of the girls. Even if they have never found that wardrobe and see exactly what lay behind those coats, they would have still seen the centaur and the strange portal. The adults were most certainly not extra cautious – it was simple logic. _Passageway from a strange magical land?_ Check. Then it was certainly not safe for defenceless student-aged girls.

"But what has happened exactly, sir?" Lucy continued her perfected act. Susan herself felt the need to answer when Lucy looked like that with those big blue eyes of hers. She watched as her sister worked her magic on the poor old fellow. He first hesitated but then his posture relaxed.

"Well, miss; I am not exactly sure myself. The Headmistress seems to think that a portal to another world has opened in our grounds, but I dare say I have only ever heard of such a thing in my books. I believe that a few school boys are playing a trick on us, or some of the upper years would like to go home for a few days and crafted a plan. All I know is that the whole staff is in uproar," he answered eventually not much before they reached a building which from the outside looked much like all the others, but Susan knew well that it was their end goal, the Infirmary. "Now, go in, be quick. By nightfall everyone has to be ready to go. According to the Headmistress it is not safe to spend your night here."

Mr Oakley said good-bye and the two sisters entered the building. It was a rather dark and bare corridor with only a few benches every now and then and many doors opened from it. Susan was about to turn right where she knew the nurse's room was. However, Lucy grabbed her hand and dragged her in the other direction. To Susan's surprise the first door on the left was open and after quickly checking that no one saw them Lucy guided her in. The room was painted to a shockingly white shade (it nearly hurt her eyes) and was full of shelves and cupboards, all of which seemed filled up of different types of medicine. She watched in awe as Lucy quickly tended her injury – washed it, disinfected it, salved it and then swathed it.

"What are you doing?" she hissed during the process, but Lucy didn't even look up.

"The Nurse tends to forget to lock this room. According to Mary she has been nearly sacked for it, but she doesn't seem to learn from her own mistakes," her sister simply answered, not that it was a real reply.

"Why didn't we just go to the school nurse?" Susan asked with her arms crossed. Lucy was quite ready by then though.

"Because she would have done the same and we would have spent an hour there. We don't have that much time and I care not for fussing now. We have to make a plan," she stated and Susan watched as Lucy stepped towards the curtained window. She cautiously opened the curtains and looked out.

"What plan?" Susan asked with a sigh. She was four years older, but still it seemed that it was Lucy to control her and not the other way around. Her sister turned around and raised her eyebrows like she didn't quite believe that Susan had no idea what she was talking about.

"We can't let them send us home when Narnia is just right here," Lucy stated. Susan opened her mouth to start on her usual 'Narnia was just a game'- speech, but her sister was quicker. "Sadly I believe we were the only one to see it. When I first saw what was happening I thought that was a good thing, but now I'm not sure. If it went public, then the teachers couldn't keep it quiet... This way though, I fear that they will make it somehow disappear before we had a chance to even get in touch with the Narnians." Susan wasn't exactly sure what to say to that, but of course she didn't even have an opportunity to speak up, because Lucy was on the roll.

"If they recognized us, it would be easier of course, but I'm sure..." She was stopped by a loud scream. Susan didn't quite understand her little sister, because that made Lucy smile.

"It seems that some girl didn't exactly follow instructions. Obviously someone has gone there," she stated happily. "I just hope that the information will spread like wildfire. Really, that's a good idea! We must spread it ourselves. Oh, do come on, Susan!" Her hurricane little sister once again grabbed her arm and guided her outside of the house. Susan caught sight of a very pale girl with bright orange hair who she thought was Lucy's friend.

"Janie, is everything alright?" Lucy asked letting Susan's hand go. Jane shook her head and pointed in the direction of Susan's dorm building where the whole incident happened.

"Elizabeth and I were looking for you after we first heard of the lockdown and we thought that you must be with your sister after we couldn't find you in our room – hey, I see that we were right there – anyways, we went to the dorms of the senior students and Beth caught sight of a big group of teachers and she was curious about the whole lockdown, because we weren't said why it was happening and everyone was afraid that the war isn't really over, that it was about bombing or something like that. So – so, she went closer and then – a centaur, Lu, and a talking rabbit and – and a blue circle of energy or what not. The teachers were talking about _universe travel_ ," she explained with widened eyes and she ran her hand through her carrot coloured hair making it even frizzier. Lucy was quite good in acting, so she pretended to be rather shocked, while Susan was in fact surprised. All the teachers were in agreement then that it was in fact universe travel – good-bye then to normal English life. Narnia didn't leave her alone here either. These grown-ups had never ever come across anything like this and yet, they seemed to believe in it. If that was the case then she certainly had to. She tried to pretend that Narnia and their fifteen years as monarchs was just a game, but one couldn't just erase one and a half decade worth of memories, especially as her siblings couldn't stop talking about it. Oh, no. Even if she didn't like the implications she knew that it really was happening – Narnia has come to England and out of all places, their freaking school ground.

"We saw it too, it's real. I even heard the Hare talk and the half-horse, half-man – what's the word, yes, _centaur_ – as well," Lucy added feverishly, playing it a tad bit too well in Susan's opinion.

"Oh my, what news! I'm sure every newspaper will be full of it by tomorrow," Jane said excitedly. "And to know that we were right here and saw it all, amazing." Jane suggested walking back to the dorms and Susan wholeheartedly agreed while Lucy wasn't as excited about the idea. Jane explained that Elizabeth was taken away by a few teachers to be calmed down, but she was told to go back to her room and it was just plain luck that she noticed Lucy and Susan on her way.

Susan was about to slip away from the younger girls and head in another way, when Lucy stopped her. Lucy asked Jane for a moment of privacy and turned towards her sister.

"We will get our stuff together, or at least pretend that we do, because in truth we must leave it all behind and get in line for the train, but once were accounted for, we slip away and come back here," she explained her plan and Susan started complaining.

"We could get expelled for that." Lucy only looked at her with clear pain in those blue eyes.

"Don't you miss it?" she asked lowly and Susan couldn't answer that question, so she just slowly nodded. "Please, Su," Lucy added before she continued her way to her dorm. Susan felt jumpy all the way to the building where she lived this year, especially when she caught sight of the rather large group of teachers and other adults as well. However, she entered the building instead and went upstairs to the room she shared with three other girls, Emily included. The three girls were chatting while getting their luggage together. They were all happy to see Susan back and inquired where she was and whatever happened to her sister.

Susan half-heartedly replied to them with vague answers. Her sister was well now. Lucy just had a minor accident. No, she didn't know what this whole lockdown was about. Yes, it would be annoying to be home alone with her younger sister. Her mind was on something completely else though – Lucy's plan. It was such a crazy scheme, but she knew that if she didn't go along with it, she would break her sister's heart. Anyways, most probably they would be stopped before they could do anything or they wouldn't be able to even get away.

Getting her luggage together was rather easy, because they only have been back for a few days. Even though she arrived last, she was the first to be ready. Part of her knew that it was because of those years in Narnia, when they packed for journeys lot more complicated than this, over deserts and mountains. Not that she would admit it even to herself. When she was ready, she picked up another luggage – she always had a spare one, because that was her mother's mania. For that exactly reason she knew that Lucy had one as well.

It was during the time they were still packing and she half-listened to their conversation when it came to her mind that Lucy wanted her to tell everyone of the portal. For a moment she scoffed to herself that she didn't want everyone to think that she was mad, but then she realized that this was newsworthy – they didn't know something she did. So she spoke up and told the girls what she has seen. It didn't exactly surprise her that they didn't believe her.

"Do you need proof?" she simply asked when Emily told her that in no way was she telling the truth. (Susan for a moment felt the need to tell them about her years in Narnia, but then she didn't – no, that was just a child's game, she tried to once again convince herself, but it was a lot harder now when she could see Narnians through her dorm window.)

"Proof? What proof?" Another of her roommates, Anne asked curiously. She was unlike the other three girls in the room, she was not exactly pretty. For that exact reason she was usually excluded from everything. Her boring brown eyes were too close to each other, she needed glasses and her front teeth were too big. She was a rather enthusiastic girl on the other hand no matter how many times she was forced to back down.

"Come with me," Susan said with an easy smile knowing that she had them. She led them through the busy house and guided them to the far end, to the right side which faced the building of Year One. She lazily pointed out of the window where now a bunch of police officers were standing with the teachers, the shimmering blue portal and the centaur. The Hare was not in sight and for a moment dread filled her – what if it died from blood loss? – but then she noticed that just nearly out of her view someone was taking care of extra-sized rabbit.

"Oh, what my father will think of this! He works for _The Times_. This will make him famous," Emily exclaimed happily and she ran back to the room to get paper and pen to write down as much details of what they have seen as possible. The girls gushed on for the next several minutes of what this could mean and Susan once again nearly started talking about Narnia, but she stopped herself. This time though, it was for another reason. Narnia was a more serious matter than just a good gossip no matter her beliefs.

For a moment as Emily added more and more details to her ever growing list, Susan felt dread. Was it really a good idea to tell them? Was Lucy right? But then she realized that with Lucy's friend having seen what she did (and probably she wasn't the only one) it would have come out sooner or later, as if not that girl or another of the students then maybe one of the men who tried to stop the coming Narnians or one of the teachers. Selling this story to a newspaper meant serious money – this was big news. From her at least they heard a rather tame version. She was rather sure that even Lucy's injury would be credited to the centaur if someone else told it to the greater audience. Also, if the portal was like the wardrobe then it would have been closed by now or other than the selected few no one could see it. No, it seemed to be rather persistent and if it really was then it would turn into international and _inter-dimensional_ diplomatic question. She wouldn't be surprised if in the next ten minutes the king, the prime minister, all the ministers and the entire military leadership arrived here.

Miss Taylor, who was in charge of the dorm, came upstairs then and asked everyone to follow her with their luggage. Susan fell in line (with her empty luggage, while her real one was still in her room) and watched as the news of the real reason for the lockdown spread like wildfire. She didn't partake in it though; her mind was in another universe, literally. They exited the dorm in a stuffy line and Miss Taylor made sure that no one would even look in the direction of the portal. Though, poor woman most probably got some untimely grey hairs because of course everyone wanted to see what was going on. This was hot news after all – for everyone except Susan. She has seen stranger things than that.

She watched as one by one all dorms were being evacuated. It was a strange sight as at the end of the year and during the breaks it happened in a lot smaller scale, they were not in such a hurry. She needed a few minutes to find her sister's year group, because she had to admit that she was not exactly familiar with any of her friends, she could only guess from the ages of the girls. Luckily Lucy's golden blonde hair was rather spectacular. She was standing two groups away next to the girl who met them before, Jane (and yes, that girl's hair was _very_ red).

"Attention, please!" Susan turned towards the voice as did most students. The Headmistress was addressing them. She was standing before the Year One group who all seemed rather pale and some were even sobbing. Susan had a feeling that no matter how the teachers tried to keep the students away it didn't work with the youngest ones. Most probably as they approached their dorms or even as they looked out the window during the packing, they saw what was going on. It was quite strange though that her sister was even younger than these girls when she first saw something like this and she was not afraid at all. Even if she tried to deny the existence of Narnia, Susan had to admit that there was a reason why Lucy got the adjective, _valiant_.

"I know that some of you have seen and others have heard things, but I must ask you not to panic. None of you are in direct danger and the only reason why we asked you to go home today was to make sure that this _situation_ was swiftly dealt with. The appropriate authorities have already been notified and it is only the question of time until all this will be over." Susan wondered what the appropriate authorities were when it came to inter-dimensional travel. "I would like to also ask you not to advertise what you have learned here, it most certainly would make the authorities' job harder."

"But Headmistress, ma'am, what will we tell our parents?" A girl from Year Three spoke up while raising her hand. The Mrs Andrews seemed hesitant for a moment, but then she replied.

"The parents will be of course notified of the nature of your departure and they will be told when you can all come back." This seemed to calm down a rather big percentage of the people and no more questions were asked, though Susan herself was rather curious what exactly the school wanted to tell the parents. _Oh, sorry, we sent your daughters home because some magical creatures from another dimension appeared on our grounds. Don't worry though; they can come back as soon as the portal is closed._

Every year group were led out of the ground by a teacher and they all fell in a line. Susan was surprised to see that Lucy's group was right behind hers. She felt her heart starting beating quicker and quicker as they exited the school ground by a wrought iron gate. They were led through the same route the older students have walked many times before. She could have found her way to the train station with eyes closed. She wondered how they could have found enough trains in such a hurry to take them back to London and what would even happen with those who didn't live there. Were the parents already notified? Would her mother or father wait for Lucy and her at the train station until no one was left there? The empty luggage felt rather wrong in her hands as she watched her friends struggling with their full ones.

The journey should have been about twenty minutes long, but with so many students it took a lot more. By the time they have arrived it was past twilight, which Susan knew would help their cause. She was shaking with fear, though deep down she knew that this certainly wasn't the most dangerous thing she has ever done. Now her friends were talking about whenever they could come back.

"It can't take much, right? I mean we all know that this is England. We won the war, some portal can't cause such a fuss wherever it is going or who it is taking," Olivia, another one of her roommate exclaimed, though Susan noted that most of her friends didn't share her opinion – Susan didn't either. If she knew one thing about dimension or universe travel, then it was rather messy, a mess that couldn't be solved easily. It involved different timelines, magical beings and Deep Magic. Lot – of – mess.

The platform was full of girls, one could hardly move. Susan wasn't exactly sure how to get out, though she let out a sigh after Miss Taylor made a headcount and she reported that her year was accounted for. Then it was time to get lost, she thought. She dearly hoped that she would be spotted before she could get away and she could board that train like all the girls in her year. However, she knew that she had to at least try for her sister's sake. Recently she hardly cared for Lucy and she felt a bit guilty about that. She could certainly at least _try_. It wouldn't be her fault if she was caught.

To her greatest shock it was rather easy to get away. She told everyone that she wanted to check on her sister who was a bit shaken up by everything that has happened that day (they didn't know Lucy, so they easily believed that), and she asked Emily to get her luggage up if it was time to board before she came back and showed to her how it hardly weighted anything. When asked about it, she replied that she had everything at home, so she didn't feel the need to take back much and exclaimed that just now Olivia pointed out that most probably they would be back in a few days. She also stated that they shouldn't be surprised if she didn't get on the train with them – she might be sitting with her sister. She simply didn't want to go through all those people with her luggage in hand.

She slipped away in the darkness, cutting her way through the mess of people. When she was out of sight, it was rather easy to get away from all the students and noises. They never really said where they were going to meet, but Susan knew Lucy well. Her sister found a tree after she started attending the school not far from the main gate that could be climbed from outside. She always said that it reminded her of Narnia, slipping through worlds and all. From that time they quite frequently met there especially if the weather was good.

The route back to the school was a lot quicker than the one from there. She didn't exactly run, but adrenaline was rushing through her veins at the thought of her escapade, so she was nearly skipping instead of simply walking. She never saw anyone, but she still made sure to be as unseen as possible and at every small noise she looked around feverishly. Once she was close to the meeting point she noticed a small form.

"You came!" Lucy exclaimed and a shock of golden blonde hair rushed into Susan. She hugged back her sister who she noted shed a few tears.

"Hey, little one, don't cry," she tried to calm her down and Lucy let go of her with a happy chuckle.

"You really are here – I-I thought that you wouldn't come," she said softly and it nearly broke Susan's heart.

"It's alright, I am here now," she stated and hugged her little sister once again.


	3. III - The Raven

**Author's note: Thank you for reading &following&favouriting the story! Special thanks to ****BlueRosette23, Dee474, Quihi, roseannacharlotte and riml for reviewing. It's so good to receive email alerts! I hope you all will continue to enjoy this story. The next chapter is going to be in Susan's point of view again and then come the boys.**

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" _The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." ― H.P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature_

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 **III. The Raven**

Only a few hours ago this scene would have been unimaginable – Lucy remembered clearly being upset and hardly eating anything, because Susan didn't seem to pay her any attention. Yet, here they were now, leaning against the fence by the tree which was once theirs while everyone else was already on the train. Not to mention the entire portal-to-another-universe thing, because that was just entirely mad. Oh, how she missed Narnia. The thrill of adventure was something one could hardly live without once they got used to it. Her biggest problem in England until now was her homework, yet the time has come for her to be the Valiant Queen she really was instead of the small school girl.

"So, what are we going to do now my dear genius little sister?" Susan asked with a teasing smile on her face, though Lucy only guessed that from her voice, because the night has already fallen. She hesitated for a moment, because she wasn't sure exactly how far along Susan has thought. She was rather afraid that Susan didn't have the time to think through what they were doing and didn't realize the unfortunate consequences – Lucy knew that there were many. There was just one way though, forward. (They couldn't exactly look back, that had even more bad results.) So, she took a deep breath and answered while she automatically took a step back.

"I am sure that you have fabricated a story about sitting with me, right?" she asked firstly. When Susan confirmed the assumption Lucy took another breath.

"I do not know exactly what the teachers have done, but I dare say they must have made arrangements for everyone to get home safely. So, once the train arrives we will be _busted_." She waited for some type of reaction, but she didn't get one – obviously Susan has already come to the same conclusion. "From that part, it gets tricky. I mean, surely they will be looking for us here; after all they must realize at once that we both tricked our friends. I don't know how much time we have, but we need to get in touch with the Narnians by then. We have to convince at least one of them of our identity and then the teachers will be already powerless. I mean, they can't exactly punish foreign dignitaries, can they?" For a moment there was silence, but then Lucy noted that Susan started pacing with straightened back. In the darkness where Lucy could only see the outline and posture of her sister, not her face and youth, she saw a medieval queen instead of a modern girl.

"It all comes back to it, right? We can't do it anonymously, can we?" she asked softly. Lucy wasn't sure what she meant at first, and then she realized that her sister wanted to protect their secret – she wanted to remain Susan Pevensie in England and to have Queen Susan only known to the Narnian society. She imagined it, somehow getting the teachers (and other officers) away from the portal and going through it. The time in Narnia always went differently, so they could just stay there and rule as the queens they were destined to be and probably no one would even look for them or notice that they were missing. However, Peter and Edmund weren't in the plan. Even if by some miracle they were able to get them there, what then? They couldn't be sure what the portal meant for either world. Most probably it wouldn't just close its own.

"The teachers didn't find us an alternative place to stay, they didn't send us to Hendon House which is the closest school or Queen's Academy which is still accessible yet all girls school for example; no, they have sent us home. We both know that it is the most complicated solution and the one with the biggest publicity and it must mean that they think that this problem won't be solved in a day or two or that it can be kept secret. If that is true, then Narnia and Earth will be opened to each other. Not just England and Narnia, _two countries_ , but _both universes_. We will be needed Susan, the four of us. We are the only real connection between the two countries where the portal lays," Lucy concluded. "We know both countries in peace and war time as well. There is of course, Eustace, Jill, the professor and Polly, but none of them ever ruled Narnia, they only just helped it." Once again Susan didn't answer immediately.

"Can-can you imagine it? Mother, father, our teachers and friends learning about _it_?" Lucy knew the answer to that; she didn't even need a moment of thinking. In the darkness she could only see the silhouette of her sister, but she found her hand at first try. She tightened her grip on Susan's hand reassuringly.

"We are monarchs Su, not criminals. It will most certainly come as a shock to our parents, to our teachers and especially to the English ministry officials. I mean to all of them we only seem children, alright, maybe not Peter, but the three of us most certainly, but we know the truth. Have you realized that at my current age Peter has just been crowned High King? We are taught and practiced diplomats and strategists, who know the affairs of both universes, not small children no matter what some adults think. I don't know what is going to happen, but this time not only Narnia, but Earth needs us as well," Lucy stated solemnly and to her surprise this time Susan tightened her grip on her.

"What-what if, if it just closes? If we reveal our _other_ self and then suddenly it's _all over_. We-we have lost a life already _there_ ; I don't want to lose this one as well. I had to learn to be Susan Pevensie again instead of Queen Susan of the Horn, I'm not sure if I would be able to do it again." There was such a raw honesty in that few sentences that Lucy forgot how to breathe. Losing Narnia was hard on all of them, but it never occurred to her how deep it hurt Susan, though it should have – after all, she was called Queen Susan the _Gentle_ for a reason. Her heart was easier to break and her spirit to pestle. The boys were strong, real men and she had the biggest faith in all of them, but what about Susan?

"Oh, Su, I wish I could just tell you that everything is going to be alright, but I certainly do not know it. However, we owe it to Narnia. _Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia._ If that does not improve your spirit, then think of the other side. The English government is most certainly not ready to negotiate with Talking Beasts. Can you just imagine that? What about Narnia – sweet magical but medieval Narnia. And this country and this universe, our _second_ home, Earth does not need another war. To be honest Narnia could do with some peace as well." For the first time both of their so-called homes were in danger (of each other). At that thought Lucy herself was close to crying – what if they were not enough to stop this mess? How could she watch it happen, how can she just stand back while both places crumble? She stepped forward and leaned against her sister.

"Oh, Aslan, I need your guidance," she suddenly cried out. To both of their biggest surprise someone replied, someone other than them. It certainly made them cringe as they were escapees after all.

"The Great Lion? I did not know that he was respected in this strange land as well," said a rather masculine voice. It seemed familiar to Lucy but she wasn't able to put a face to the tone. She turned around but for a moment she was still entirely confused, because she could not see who was talking, not even the outline.

"Up here, little girl!" Lucy this time looked up, but in the darkness she still didn't know who it was exactly, but she had at least a good idea _where_ it came from. It was a Talking Beast, some type of a rather large dark-feathered bird, but she couldn't exactly identify the species. Well, when she asked for Aslan's guidance she didn't exactly meant this, but it seemed that the Great Lion was certainly listening to her even after so many years. After all, the chances of a Narnian just walking (or rather flying) around the moment that sentence left her mouth were rather slim.

"Hey, this was supposed to be a private conversation!" Susan exclaimed. Lucy rolled her eyes even if in the darkness her sister most probably couldn't see it. Leave it to Su to have a fit about something like that.

"You cannot blame me, ma'am, I have been at this odd place for quite a few hours now, maybe even more and this is the first time I have heard the name of the one true king," the bird said and Lucy nodded only to realise that she couldn't know how well the Narnia in the darkness of night saw – it depended on the species of the bird after all.

"It is alright, cousin," she replied and this time the bird gasped – or whatever similar thing it could have done. It was probably surprised by the addressing which was something quite frequently done in Narnia, everyone called the other 'cousin' there.

"O my, have I gone back to my beautiful country?" the bird asked with delight.

"I am afraid not. In this country not one Talking Beast lives," Susan stated simply and it surprised Lucy. For one, she nearly forgot about her sister (at the thought of Aslan providing them aid and having a conversation with a Talking Beast in England). Also, she would have thought that Susan was not yet ready to talk with a true Narnian. Only a few hours before she pretended that it was all a childish game after all. Maybe she has misjudged her sister, who has not changed from the gentle soul she has known for so many years – she was just heartbroken, and had a strange way of dealing with it.

"What would you two say for continuing this delightful conversation somewhere more... _indoors_?" Lucy suddenly asked. She remembered the key which was still in her jacket's pocket. Miss Millers gave it to her to lock the dorm building's door after everyone was already out, but then some of the girls started throwing tantrums and she was distracted. Lucy was quite sure that Miss Millers actually thought that she has closed the door herself. The student _accidentally_ – of course – forgot to give back the key when she wasn't asked for it.

"What do you –" Susan started, but Lucy quickly shut her up, when she heard some noises. They were all tense for a moment (the bird most probably because the two of them were). Once everything was quite, Lucy quickly explained in a word or two that she had a key for her dorms, because she knew that her sister didn't understand how Lucy wanted to go _in_ anywhere with only teachers around the place. To her surprise Susan didn't ask how she got hold of the key. She was most probably only happy to be able to get inside of a building instead of standing around the fence during the fast approaching night.

Both Susan and the bird agreed to get inside and with practiced moves Lucy climbed over the fence with the help of the tree. Susan soon followed her and it seemed like no time has passed and they were still at Cair Paravel – then they have climbed a lot more trees than they should have as monarchs and ladies. The way towards her dorm was rather quite, though not because they didn't have anything to say to each other, but because the school ground was full of teachers and different kind of officers, military and ministry as well, and the two escapees certainly didn't want to get caught with a talking bird. What surprised Lucy was that the bird easily understood her reasoning – she guessed it must have been a bit upset. England was just as strange for it as Narnia was for them when they first discovered it.

She quietly opened the front door of the dorm building and the three of them tiptoed – really, just the two of them, the Narnian flew – up the staircase. She led them into her room (rather plain with four beds from dark wood and a couple of mismatched chairs) and after making sure that the curtains were shut, she turned on some lights, though not all of them, because while her dorm building was one of the most further away from the portal, most probably adults were roaming the entire ground.

"A Raven," Susan concluded and Lucy turned around to see their subject who didn't exactly know that part yet. It – or she supposed it was a _he_ from the masculine tone – was a rather large raven and with such intelligent eyes, that even if she hasn't heard him talking she would have guessed that he was a Talking Beast. The Raven freaked out from the electricity and wanted to see where the candles were, but after a few reassuring words she was able to calm him down. She wasn't about to explain how a lamp worked to a Narnian though, one who knew nothing of technology.

"My name is Sallowpad, my ladies," the Raven stated and Susan gasped. Lucy frowned trying to place the name, because it most certainly sounded familiar. She sat down on her own bed and Susan took place right next to her, while the Raven found a place on the top of her real luggage which was on an old chair just before the closest bed which belonged to her friend, Jane. Lucy needed a moment to place the bird, but then she got why Susan looked green. Sallowpad was on the royal council during the Golden Age. He was a rather intelligent Narnian who knew many of the neighbour countries quite well too. Wasn't he the one who helped Susan and Edmund get out of Tashbaan when Su refused to marry Prince Rabadash? However, once again there were two possibilities – the Narnians loved to name their descendants after creatures of the same name and their children often took after their ancestors or this bird was really from the time of their fifteen-year-old reign. One was a stranger option than the other.

Lucy tried to meet Susan's eyes, but her sister was still watching the Raven with hawk's eyes. The younger girl herself tried to identify this bird with the other she has met during her days as queen, but it has been five years since their comeback from the Golden Age and this raven looked like any other except for his Talking Beast-peculiarities.

"And who are you, my ladies? What is this strange land? I have flown over countless regions but never one as odd as this one," Sallowpad stated and this time Susan did look in her direction. She tilted her head and looked at her with a questioning expression. Lucy took a deep breath and turned towards the Raven.

"This country is called England and the world we are now is named Earth," she started and the Raven looked alarmed.

"I have not heard about such a place ever." He shook his wings as if he was about to fly off, but he obviously reconsidered his options, because the same way Susan did before, he tilted his head and looked at Lucy with clear confusion in his intelligent human-like eyes.

"You have flown into that swirling blue circle, did you not, Mr Sallowpad?" she asked and the Raven nodded.

"I was the last one to go through it after Shallowgrass found it and came back for help. Before I knew what was happening I had been cut off from my cousins. Then I pretended to be a dumb beast and I have been flying around for hours, trying to find out where I am. Luckily I heard the two of you talking about the Great Lion. Who are you then?" Shallowgrass must have been the Hare, Lucy concluded, the one that was shot. She dearly hoped that someone took care of its wound once they realized that it was certainly not more dangerous than any of the officers' pets. She knew that it would certainly break her heart if something happened to the Hare, while she was around. Oh, how she wished she had her cordial with.

"This is the land of Daughters of Eve and Sons of Adam, the world of Adam and Eve," Lucy tried to explain Earth to the Raven who looked at them with wide eyes. For a long time the younger sister never understood that expression. While Narnia was practically human-free during the reign of the White Witch many of the countries all around it had completely human population like Archenland or the Calormene Empire (and during the Golden Age many of their species relocated to their country for one reason or another, most trying to build a new life for themselves). Only later did she realize that this strange expression only meant _humans from Earth_. Then came the whole Telmarine business and then she realized that it was even more confusing, a human populated Narnia and all. However, if this was really the Sallowpad from the Golden Age then he had to recognize the term even if he didn't automatically assume that they were _those_ two queens, after all, the prophecy was rather well-known during the White Witch's reign and even more so after it was fulfilled.

"Are you Daughters of Eve yourselves?" the Raven asked and before Lucy could answer Susan nodded and simply said that they were. Sallowpad looked between the two of them for a long moment, rotating his head every once in the while. "Do I know you? You look familiar." A moment later recognition sparkled in the bird's eyes and before Lucy could stop him, he was kneeling on the floor before them. Though for a raven even for a Talking Beast kneeling meant something a lot stranger than for a human, it seemed more than a bit unnatural to Lucy. She truly hoped that it was more comfortable for him than it looked.

"It is you, my queens; it is really you, is it not?" Sallowpad asked with clear respect and hope in his voice.

"Your eyes are not deceiving you, my dear cousin. We may look younger than we ought to be, but that is just the result of the differences between these worlds. It is us, Queen Susan the Gentle and Queen Lucy the Valiant," she answered with warmth, feeling happy to be able to say those titles again, "– of the Golden Age," she added as an afterthought not knowing which time period the Raven was from. He recognized them, yet that might have been because Caspian campaigned for them and promoted them so the Narnian history wouldn't be lost again.

"After you and your royal brothers disappeared we thought that you have been lost to us forever." This one sentence freaked Lucy out completely. Susan suddenly jumped up and started pacing the room watching the still kneeling Raven and shooting Lucy uneasy looks. If they understood well what Sallowpad was saying then he certainly was the same one who escorted Susan, Edmund, Corin and Mr Tumnus to Tashbaan. However, then the Raven had to be well over a thousand years old! However, even if this was some kind of Talking Beast mutant who lived an eternal life, he most probably would have said something completely different if he was not from the Golden Age. They have been back to Narnia since their original reign after all, Lucy twice while Susan once. She would have expected something like, _'O, King Caspian's descendants are still ruling our beautiful land fairly.'_

"This is our original world, Mr Sallowpad and it was Aslan's plan for us to return here, though it was against our wish," Lucy simply answered trying not to let her hurt be heard. She knew that the Great Lion had a reason for everything he did, but it caused her great pain that she wasn't supposed to see her magical land again, the one she loved so much with all its creatures.

"Then the rumours were true. When you first disappeared during your hunting trip many thought that you have been kidnapped, but no ransom demand came. Those who met you when you first came to our land started talking about the Spare Oom and War Drobe, but even they didn't know where it was and how to get you back from there." Oh, that silly misunderstanding automatically made her think of Mr Tumnus. How Lucy longed to see her old friend. Then realization came – he was most probably still alive in this strange timeline of Narnia, so if everything went according to plans she would see him again. "Oh, what a welcome shall I receive once I return to our great land with its queens? Hold on – Your Majesties, where are your royal brothers, High King Peter and King Edmund?" Lucy and Susan once again shared a look.

"Do not worry Mr Sallowpad, our royal brothers are in perfect health, they are at the moment only not with... us." The younger sister cringed at her lame response. It certainly was not fit for a queen. Still, she had no idea how to explain it to a Raven, to a magical creature from a faraway land and universe, that Peter was at university in Scotland and Edmund was somewhere close yet a world apart, in a different boarding school. The English school system was not for talking birds, she decided. However, with the question a realization came – where in the plan were their brothers?

"Susan, where _are_ they?" she mouthed the question to her sister who tilted her head and had a look of confusion. Then she turned towards the Raven with a charming expression which won over many teenage boys and foreign dignitaries as well over the years (and of course, sometimes _both_ of them.)

"Would you mind a moment? My fair sister and I need to have a quick word." The Raven of course fell for Susan's charm (or simply, he was too shaken by this point to care) and the two girls left the room. They closed the old wooden door behind them and leaned against the white wall on the corridor. They didn't turn on the light – making sure that no one would notice the light would have caused too much of a fuss and taken up too much time.

"Where _are_ they?" Lucy hissed, repeating the question. Puzzlement filled Susan's pretty face again, though it was nearly as dark in the corridor as it was outside, so the younger girl only went by instincts – and she knew her sister rather well even if she has changed a lot recently.

"Where they are supposed to be, Edmund at school and Peter at university," she simply replied but Lucy shook her head.

"No, no – I mean they don't know about _anything_ ," she pointed out and Susan seemed to suddenly understand the point. "We forgot that we need to find a way of contacting them. Surely, this will be in the news shortly, but I thought that we have established that we don't have _that_ much time." They were so caught up in their own plans and problems that they literally forgot about their siblings who knew of nothing. In a way they were so used to dealing with situations like this together, the four of them that the idea that the boys actually didn't know what was happening was surprising and utterly confusing.

"But if everything goes according to plan, we are going to be accepted in our roles soon. Surely, if we are to tell that our brothers are in this as well, that Peter is the _High_ King, then they will be notified," Susan pointed out uncertainly, probably still feeling a bit terrified of their plan, but Lucy just shook her head. It made sense of course – what Su said usually did as she was rather sensible – but there were too many unknown factors. If nothing else worked it would be a good last option, but they needed to try some other ways first at least.

"We cannot be certain how anything will work out. Plus, we need the boys as soon as possible. It is rather unfair that just the two of us make all the decisions. Also, if it were you away, you wouldn't want to find something this big out of the papers or from some officer, would you?" Lucy asked. Aslan's mane, this was a complicated situation.

"Well, there is always the telephone in the Headmistress's office, the one we can use when there is trouble, but I do not think we are in the good graces of the school leadership at the moment. Writing letters maybe? Though of course it can get lost and all, so it's not exactly reliable and the post office is not very close to here," Susan proposed uncertainly. Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but a voice stopped her. The door opened and for a moment she could hardly see, because her eyes were not used to the lightness of the room.

"I might be able to help with that, Your Majesties," Sallowpad suggested. He was leaning against the doorframe and Lucy guessed that he must have straightened himself to look more impressive.

"Private conversation, once again," Susan sighed. Lucy nudged her sister and signed to Sallowpad to go on. While she agreed with her sister, Susan's technicalities weren't exactly helping the situation.

"While I do not know the route to your royal brothers, if you do tell me, Your Majesties, then I will be able to take a letter to them. I am a free Narnian citizen, not a dumb beast trained to do something like that, but I would like to help." The idea was great. It meant no letter getting lost or being opened by someone else other than their brothers. Lucy looked at Susan who nodded. It had its own risks – Sallowpad knew nothing of England after all and he was their only loyal subject here, but they had to at least try it.

"Thank you, our dear cousin. Your help is most certainly wanted and needed," she replied with an honest smile dazzling the Raven. They were in a rather sticky situation, but they weren't alone, she concluded and with a look at her sister whom she thought that she has lost, she realized that everything was just getting better no matter the problems.


	4. IV - The History

**Author's note: Hey! I'm here with a very long chapter - nearly 7K words, which is close to twice the normal length! - but I found it cruel to stop somewhere in the middle. Also, the next chapter will be in Edmund's point of view! So get ready for the boys.**

 **Thank you everyone for reading &following&favouriting the story! Special thanks to those who have reviewed as well (and ****I will admit, I love reviews)** **: riml, Guest, AllisonReader and Quihi! :)**

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" _Where I'm from, we believe in all sorts of things that aren't true... we call it history." ― Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West_

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 **IV. The History**

Susan didn't quite know what was happening. Her day started just like any other in England, so it was full of rather boring lessons (she hardly heard a thing she hasn't known before) and juicy gossips. One of her best friends, Emily, told her about her older brother who has spotted her when they boarded the train and wrote a letter to his sister, one she has just received that morning, because he would like to get to know Susan. Apparently he has hardly ever seen a beauty like Susan's before and she had an air he couldn't name, but was drawn to. It wasn't something that has never happened to her before, but it was quite flattering, she had to admit, it was a good way to start a day.

Yes, her day at the beginning was quite nice, but completely ordinary. Then everything went haywire and she wasn't even sure what to think or do anymore. Narnia frequently had that effect on her, she thought bitterly. The land they all thought as home at a time, one they have lost, has come back to haunt her. Yet, once Lucy told her that insane plan of hers and then she looked at her with those blue eyes of her and muttered those fateful words _'Don't you miss it?'_ Susan was completely lost. She missed it so much that it hurt – it was easier to forget. Lucy was right though, Narnia came to them, and she couldn't exactly ignore that swirling blue portal behind her dorm building even if it would have been easier than to handle the reality.

Still, it felt like she has lost control and she most certainly did not like it. She was right behind Lucy, who has just recently had a growth spurt and was nearly as tall as she was. They were standing behind the same tree she hid behind a few hours prior, when she first saw the portal. Her sister was in her element, while Susan felt faint. In a few minutes (or maximum in hours) the normal life she has been building herself carefully for the last five years would be ruined. She could never be Susan Pevensie again after this night – no matter what was going to happen with this portal, she would be labelled as the Queen of Freaks for the rest of her life. Because that was what this was about. The same way the Raven freaked out because of a lamp which worked with electricity, every human on Earth, _Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve_ , she thought with dry amusement, would fear the magic of Narnia.

Lucy was always the optimistic one and she was rather naive; she saw the world in a better light than most did. Susan lost that childish innocence in England, one they all had in Narnia even after all the bloodshed they have seen. It came with the magic of Narnia she supposed, what Earth completely lacked. With magic in the air and around, with Aslan, the Great Lion, as their guide and protector, everything seemed somehow brighter. England was not about acceptance though, quite the opposite, it has always been known as the country of traditions. Not only would the English fear the unknown Narnians, but their not exactly English, but not native rulers as well. Sadly, that would be them.

Susan pondered for a very long moment what would happen if she abandoned this mad plan altogether and went to the first teacher she could find. She most probably would receive a rather harsh punishment; maybe she would even be expelled. Though, if she went along the line that she saw the portal and she freaked out completely, maybe they would just think that she was disillusioned for a moment when she accidentally didn't board the train. She could even grab Lucy and say that her little sister had a panic attack, that would be completely believable and she has run away and Susan followed her as it was her task as an older sister. These teachers didn't know Lucy; they most certainly wouldn't know that the youngest Pevensie wasn't one to be afraid (especially of magic and Narnia). The teachers would easily believe her lie.

Lucy – she would be a problem though, a big one. Her sister was someone who liked of things went her way, a Pevensie trait, really, especially if Narnia was concerned. Lucy wouldn't nod along to her story, no, she knew her well enough to know that. Her younger sister would fight with everything she had to get to that portal and to the world she loved. That was the thought that stopped Susan from moving. For a second her muscles tensed and she was ready to run, to find the closest teacher, but then she relaxed. With or without her Lucy would go along the plan and with her there were less risks and consequences.

"Su, are you even listening?" Lucy hissed under her breath. Susan woke from her thoughts completely obvious to what was happening around her. Her sister gestured towards the portal, but she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to see. There were more people around then she could count with torches in their hands, all in various uniforms. Was that man really from the navy? As far as she knew the ocean was not around the corner. However, in the sea – oh, so that was why the navy was needed – of people she couldn't spot any Narnian. If it wasn't for the swirling blue portal which was so bright that she still saw it through the mass of people and it illuminated the dark sky so much that the torches were hardly needed, and for all those unknown and military-like uniforms she would have said that the teachers were having a meeting outside, but other than that, everything was completely normal. Alas, that wasn't the situation.

She heard that everyone was talking, the noise level was above normal, but she could only understand a few words. Among those were quite a few familiar ones such as _Narnia_ , _centaur_ or _portal_. She wondered how much information they have gathered. Have they heard about Deep Magic? Did they know that Narnia was not only a country, but an entire universe? Did they know what type of creatures inhabited the other universe? About fifty other questions were swirling in her mind just like the portal did. Lucy found the idea of these people understanding the Narnians impossible – but was it really? Were they even needed? Before once again she could have started doubting the – sadly not exactly foolproof – plan a big black bird, a Raven was getting closer to them and then he landed on the branch just above them.

"My Queens," Sallowpad the Raven greeted them with a bow of his head, though Susan had to concentrate really hard on the form of the bird to see him moving in the darkness.

"Any news, my dear cousin?" Lucy asked slipping into Narnian mannerism without even noticing it. Susan herself was paying extra attention to the Talking Beast now, because this was the first part of the plan. Get their one loyal subject close to the other potential ones. She watched as his head slouched. It was amazing to see – even if she could hardly see at all – how human-like the Raven was. With Sallowpad just out of her arm's reach, it was impossible to deny the years in Narnia. Countless feelings and memories flashed in her mind, all about the magical creatures of their beautiful land. _Their land_ , the expression slipped into her mind easily, without real thinking, it just felt right no matter its consequences. Guilt was eating her away – wasn't Narnia really their land? Yet, for so long now she didn't even think of it as _any land_ , let alone one they ruled for one and a half decade.

"I'm afraid, Your Majesty that our cousins are not by the magical gate anymore," Sallowpad stated with a disappointed undertone in his voice. While Lucy had a torch in her hand – one she found in her luggage – it wasn't turned on at the moment, so Susan couldn't catch her sister's expression, but she most probably was just as disappointed as the Raven. Susan was somehow conflicted; a part of her screamed that there was still a way out and it was not too late to find that teacher and report her excuse. Surprisingly this was the minor part of her only – the bigger part felt just as badly as her companions. She feared for her life as Susan Pevensie, but she had to admit that she liked being Queen Susan more.

Here she could have some pretty dresses; in Narnia she had beautiful ball gowns. In England she was giggling with her friends over boys, but in the other universe she had just as many friends and those boys were mostly princes or nobles, not stupid teenagers. On this side of the portal she was a no one, on the other she was a queen. She had to admit that she liked to be heard and she enjoyed her opinion being valued especially when it came to more important topics than the best place to get hold of makeup.

"Then Plan A is an obvious failure," Susan added softly not trusting her own voice.

"Oh, come on Su, there is always a Plan B," her sister replied with her usual optimism. She sometimes wished she could see the world the way Lucy did, it certainly seemed brighter than her own version. "Don't forget that we even already have it. We agreed that the chances of the officials holding them somewhere more secure is rather high. Though, I still hope they are around somewhere – I'm rather sure that they wouldn't be removed to some military base or whatnot till tomorrow morning. I cannot see the English moving them somewhere more permanent until they are certain about the exact nature of the _guests_."

Once again Susan was not as optimistic as Lucy, but they already had this conversation in the privacy of Lucy's dorm. She was not about to start on her more realistic slash pessimistic version outside the safe rooms. While no students (supposedly) remained on the grounds, it was still a school. Military was already concerned in the matter – she couldn't see those liking unidentified risk factors at a school ground even if it was abandoned for the moment. With the War just over they must have been paranoid – poor magical yet medieval Narnia would certainly freak them out and most probably their diplomatic abilities would fail here.

This thought changed her opinion of another matter though, as she had to admit that Lucy had a point. Had this happened but ten years ago she was sure that all the diplomatic problems would have been dealt swiftly and England and Narnia wouldn't have been in danger of each other. But now... Things were different, the people of Britain as well, not only the political and military figures, but the everyday citizens too.

"Plan B is also rather risky – what are the chances of us being right and the Narnians being at the Teachers' Building?" According to Lucy that was the most secured building on the grounds, so if their missing subjects were around, they had to be there. Susan wasn't so sure and that building was still huge with many rooms. All the teachers had their offices there and many even owned quarters in there. Still, part of her sister's plan made sense. If the two unwelcomed guests were still around then they most probably were being questioned. Doing that in a secured office made much sense.

Suddenly the loud conversation on the other side of the tree stopped. The Pevensies stilled – were they to be discovered? Susan only let out a sigh, a pretty quite one of course, when the party of officials continued talking. No matter where this plan was going, standing behind a tree so close to the portal where most adults were spending their time wasn't a good solution. She gestured towards the building they have just left and Lucy nodded. Within minutes they were once again in her sister's dorm.

It didn't exactly calm Susan down though. Their previous conversations which happened at the exact same place were not all satisfactory. She has heard just a tad bit too much in that room to find it comforting. Once they decided that Edmund was easy to reach, but Peter was a long flight away, the two siblings wrote a letter to the younger brother. They dearly hoped that he was going to be able to get in contact with the eldest Pevensie. Then they received another shocking piece of information. They were just asking Sallowpad what happened exactly, where and how the portal was discovered when that name was said.

"Shallowgrass found the portal first. He is a good friend of mine, you see and I was just on my way to have a chat with the old pal. We were to discuss the succession question as the dear Hare is rather interested in politics," he started. While Calormenes were usually said to fancy telling stories, Susan always found that Narnians were just like that as well.

"Succession?" Lucy tilted her head in confusion. The Raven looked at her apologetically.

"Throne succession, Your Majesty. After your and your royal siblings' disappearance the Council chose Oreius as the Governor, but it was only supposed to be temporarily. It was stated if no information was found about your whereabouts in half a year then another solution would be needed – a more permanent one." There was hesitance in his tone; probably he feared that he was hurting their feelings, though it made absolute sense. Narnia couldn't go on without a permanent leader after all.

"So, Shallowgrass the Hare found the portal?" Susan tried to steer back the conversation into the original track. The Raven started nodding.

"Yes, one of his children, young Stumbletoe was fascinated by a butterfly and followed it, while his mother was paying attention to his other three siblings. Shallowgrass became worried once he heard about it and started looking for him. Once I appeared he asked for my assistance and we split up. I discovered the whereabouts of the leveret and brought him back. I found a completely shaken up Hare though. He told me about the strange land through the blue circular gate. Once I understood what he was saying I flew in the direction of Cair Paravel as fast as I could. I found Oreius – he recruited a troop, but he told them only to follow him if he was back. Once Oreius crossed the gate though the Hare became jumpy and he literally _jumped_ after the Governor. I was afraid what might happen to him though so without a thought I followed him. I-I... Those Sons of Adam was so stunned by Oreius that they didn't even notice me. I admit that I panicked myself when that strange metal stick hurt Shallowgrass." The two queens exchanged looks – _Oreius_. The centaur who crossed the portal was in fact the General of Aslan's Army during the Golden Age. Sallowpad was an acquaintance, a good advisor, one Susan was very thankful for after the Rabadash-situation. Still, Oreius was different.

The centaur was their mentor, especially to their brothers. Susan knew for fact, that out of all advisors' suggestion, Peter, the High King, was always most interested in the centaur's. While she was rather happy to be able to see the wise centaur again, it made everything a lot more real, not to mention complicated. With the appearance of Sallowpad it became apparent that something was up with Narnia – only about half a year has passed since they disappeared instead of that one thousand three hundred which should have happened. In a way though, even if she remembered the Raven well, she could just pretend that everything was normal – as normal as it ever came to Narnia and inter-dimensional travel. With their mentor there in England it was impossible though.

The two of them once again disappeared to the corridor after that. They started talking at the same time, both knowing that situation was even more delicate than they first thought.

"It's still the Golden Age for them!" Lucy cried out only to be shut up by a panicking sister. Susan looked around frantically like she supposed that some of the teachers were hiding in the dorm rooms.

"We suspected that much," she tried to calm her sister down. However, it was one thing to suspect something and completely different to be faced with the harsh facts. Sallowpad didn't even seem to have inkling that his queens were not the same ones who left them. He certainly didn't show that he knew anything about the Telmarine invasion or the Narnian Revoliution.

"He-he doesn't seem to know about our _other_ journeys to Narnia. He is-is part of the council, he would know if it was an acknowledged fact. What if... if we are not supposed to _get involved_ in this? I mean we know that we haven't been heard of after the White Stag hunt until your horn summoned us to Caspian," Lucy stated softly, not wanting to stress her sister out even more probably. Susan noted that the idea freaked her youngest sibling completely out, not that it surprised her. She knew well that the last few hours gave Lucy a kind of hope even she has lost since her last return to England. The youngest Pevensie had the biggest faith in Aslan, which was a simple and rather well-known fact. However, for probably the exact same reason, she missed Narnia the most. The idea that Narnia was just at her fingertips, but she couldn't reach out would seriously destroy her.

"Hey, Lu, calm down. We have known since you first found the wardrobe that time passes strangely in Narnia. Remember that case when Edmund supposedly found a girl in the Western Woods from some small European country – Hungary, I believe – and she told him that the year she was from was 2016? Then she disappeared. We all made fun of Ed and stated that he must have been dreaming, but now I am not so sure," Susan stated. She actually felt rather strange as calming down Lucy seemed rather out of character. Oh, she has done it countless times, she was named the _Gentle_ for a reason, but it was her sister who had endless faith in the Great Lion and his plans and not her. Her reminding _Lucy_ (out of all people) of the infinite possibilities of Deep Magic was in fact odd.

"But if we do anything now, we change the _history_ ," Lucy said with wide eyes. Susan hesitated for a moment.

"We don't even know for sure. Remember, by the time of Caspian we were just _legends_. Even the existence of Narnians was just bedtime story for the Telmarine children. Maybe we found the portal, continued our reign and then something happened and that part of history was lost to the future generations." It seemed forced and incoherent even to her ears, but no better idea came to her mind and in a way it did make sense. Lucy only nodded with a strange determined expression. Gone was the stuttering little girl, instead a queen far more experienced than her youthful, childish appearance would suggest was standing before her. "And... there is another possibility. It might be the 1940s, but we don't know much about time, do we? What if-if it's not _linear_?" The suggestion was out there, but none of them commented on it. Instead they remained silent for a long moment.

"Come, sister, we have work to do," Lucy eventually said with a tone she used only in the most serious royal matters and turned around to join the Raven. Work they did. They made Plan A, B, C and Susan felt Z as well. Plan A, though has already failed, so they were now getting ready for the second version.

"How do I look?" Susan asked and turned toward her little sister who was sitting on her bed once again. Lucy was already wearing civilian clothes instead of her school uniform. The red blazer, gray skirt and the striped tie were in a neat pile on the closest chair.

"Isn't the question supposed to be, how _old_ you look?" Lucy asked with an amused expression with a certain glint in her eyes, one Susan knew well. The older girl just raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. She was wearing a black coat, one that was once hers, but Lucy inherited it. It was a bit tight at certain places, but while her clothes all remained at the school, her dorm was locked. Lucy was now nearly as high as she was, but she was most certainly not yet womanly enough, so hardly anything fit Susan from her wardrobe. "I get it, no need to look at me like that. You look fine and old enough – we only need a moment after all, and the darkness of the night will help as well."

"If I may say so, my queen, you look as majestic as you always do," the Raven added which caused Susan to smile. It was one thing for her friends to tell her that she was pretty; it was completely different to be called _majestic_. She missed that.

"Are we ready then?" Lucy asked, but Susan shook her head. She sat down next to her sister and started braiding her hair in two braids.

"Your Majesty, is this really necessary now?" Sallowpad watched curiously the process.

"She is supposed to look decades younger than me," Susan simple supplied. Once she was ready she smiled at her sister. "Now we are ready."

The plan in Susan's point of view was rather dumb. First of all there were the countless unknown factors, like where have they taken Oreius and Shallowgrass? What type of security measurements were in order? Who was with them? Then there was the problem of only having one chance. If they were unlucky and they didn't find the pair of Narnians on the first try then they most probably would be busted. They have already agreed that the adults would never let them tell the whole truth – no one would believe them.

"Don't be like that, Su," Lucy stated. "You are being negative again. I know what's going through that pretty head of yours. However, even if the plan doesn't work Mr Sallowpad is going to be around. The teachers will have to believe us if a Talking Beast confirms our statement." This actually made sense, but Susan couldn't help but feel helpless and rather fearful. Deep down she knew, that if the plan was foolproof she would still feel the same way. It was more than the fear of being busted. It originated from the fact that no matter what happened in the next hour, her normal English life would never be the same again.

She just nodded to her sister and even smiled softly. She was pretty sure that Lucy knew that her smile was only forced, but the youngest Pevensie didn't comment on it.

"Now, come on, sister. Inter-dimensional questions are not usually solved by themselves," Lucy said cheerfully. Susan had no idea how her sister could sound so carefree in such a problematic and life changing situation. Obviously Lucy was over her fears, unlike her.

Sallowpad was enthusiastic. He most probably felt a lot more at ease now that his queens were found, his monarchs who were native to this – for him – strange world. He remained professional, something Susan actually associated with the bird, but gone was the fearful Narnian. He hadn't shared Susan's worries either. According to the plan the Raven was to follow them from afar and once they were in the Teachers' Building he should only listen from outside until he was called. Simply, because he was too big to be a normal raven – or a dumb beast as he was to say – and most teachers wouldn't even like that in their building, let alone a talking one.

They were either getting really good in the whole sneaking around business or the teachers and officials saw no reason to suspect having around anyone who shouldn't be there. Getting to the Teachers' Building was ridiculously easy. The building was larger than the dorms of the year groups, but it looked just like those. Susan stiffened the moment they were about to enter the front door, because only a few feet away Mr Oakley, the teacher who told them about the portal and who took them to the Infirmary, was smoking while talking to a younger officer or teacher, though if he was the latter than Susan hasn't seen him around yet. Mr Oakley was facing the other direction, but Susan knew that the English teacher would recognize the pair of them (even if they were out of their uniforms) if he turned around.

"Is that a student?" Susan stopped dead at the sound. The younger man called out and her heart started beating in an unhealthy speed.

"All students have le-left. This is the daughter of one Mr Taylor who as I was told is currently inside this building. I am to escort the girl to him," she replied only slipping up at one word. At moments like this she was rather glad that they have faced countless similar situations before. After all, simple international diplomacy was rather complicated, not just the inter-dimensional. She certainly did learn something during those fifteen years of being a monarch.

She was standing like a sculpture (automatically the White Witch's enemies came into her mind who have been turned to stone), and the moment didn't seem to pass. In her mind it was only hours later that the man nodded and turned back to his conversation while Mr Oakley was concentrating on lightning another one of his cigarettes, not paying attention to what was right behind him.

Lucy didn't need to be told to rush in once they were clear. Susan pretty much ran after her. The building was three stories high with countless doors on both sides of the corridor. Her sister looked at her uncertainly for a moment obviously being a bit confused on what they were supposed to do now. Susan herself knew the building rather well. She was a Senior Prefect, and many of the Prefect meetings were held in one of the rooms on this corridor. She was though actually rather surprised that the corridor was empty. She half-expected it to be full of buzzing people. Where was everyone? Certainly not everyone was guarding the portal.

Only a few meters later they had their answer. As they were passing by one of the doors they heard countless voices all debating one thing or another. Susan looked at the door and she noted that it was one of the rooms the Prefects used for their meetings as well. She stopped for a moment before the door, but Lucy gestured to her to go one. Reluctantly she agreed and they made their way towards the staircase, because the school leadership's offices were on the first floor. If Lucy's logic was right then most probably the Narnians would be in one of them.

Three men in military uniform were standing in front of one of the offices. Susan was quite sure that no Nobel Prize was needed to figure out which office was inhabited by the foreigners. The problem was that now came the harder part of the plan. They were still hid by the staircase, but Susan knew that if they stepped out of the shadow there was no way back.

"Go!" Lucy urged which surprised Susan. The plan was to make Lucy like a lost little girl who has accompanied her father because he was in a hurry after he was called in to deal with the portal question, but she felt alone and wanted to see her father now. She looked at the army officers though and she had a feeling she knew what Lucy meant. They certainly didn't look like the type to let them through just because the (not-so-little) girl was missing her daddy. Susan nodded to Lucy and she stepped out of the shadow. Then new plan – Plan Z (probably).

"Excuse me, Miss, but you cannot enter the office," the closest of the man stated once she was spotted.

"I was asked to give a message to the Headmistress." She dearly hoped that the Headmistress wasn't downstairs giving a speech to the faculty members. This was certainly her office, but that most probably meant nothing.

"I am sorry, ma'am, but you cannot enter. I can give that message myself," he stated. Susan hesitated. If this continued he soon was going to ask for some type of identification which she lacked. She needed something huge and shocking, something which would make them forget for a moment what their job was.

"This is of utmost importance. It seems another of them; another Narnian has slipped through the portal before it was shielded. _Emergency_ ," she urged them. It was the actual truth which made her monologue even more believable. Three grown and war-hardened men looked at her with clear confusion. It was somehow funny, she had to admit. She opened the office's door and was surprised to see that her plan worked – no one stopped her.

The door opened to a smaller office which as Susan knew belonged to the secretary of the Headmistress, but the elderly lady who always smiled at the Senior Prefect was nowhere to be found. Instead without even knocking she opened the next door. It meant that she didn't have time to think of what was going to happen. She has been to the Headmistress's Office before, so instead of the room she focused on its inhabitants. Another four men were standing next to the door – two on both sides, these ones had weapon in their hands. The Headmistress was sitting behind her great oak desk with an older looking man besides her, a pudgy one with hardly any hair left, who was most probably a ministry official. Maybe a minister?

Oreius was standing where the other chair was supposed to be, facing the pair of human leaders. At least from the back he has changed nothing from what she could remember. She opened her mouth to speak but she was not quick enough, because she was mesmerized by the centaur so close to her. The Ministry official looked at her questioningly while recognition gleamed in the Headmistress's eyes. She was surprised to see that Shallowgrass the Hare was nowhere to be found. Was he so injured that he still needed medical attention?

" _Susan Pevensie_?" she all but shrieked. Oreius was looking down, but the moment those fateful words left the mouth of Mrs Andrews he looked up and turned around as fast as it was possible with a horse's back. He faced Susan and there was such intensity in his eyes that she nearly looked away.

"Pevensie, you said?" he asked Mrs Andrews without even turning back in her direction.

"I am sorry Mr Rutherford. This girl here is a student of the school. I have no idea what she is doing here. Miss Pevensie, explain." The Headmistress obviously lacked diplomatic skills. Oreius was the Governor of Narnia and yet she pretended that she didn't even hear the question of the centaur. That little scenario made Susan a lot surer of herself and what they were doing. If this was how England was dealing with Narnia then their country surely needed them.

 _"Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again,"_ Susan recited the little rhyme she has heard on her first trip to Narnia about Aslan, the one true king of Narnia.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Headmistress pretty much jumped up. Oreius was still watching her with hawk's eyes and then to everyone's complete amazement based on the expressions (except of course for Susan) he descended to half knee.

"I should have expected to see you, my Queen. I've gathered by now that this is the world of Adam and Eve," he stated. Susan held out her right hand and Oreius kissed it, before any of the soldiers could move. The Headmistress after that bypassed the table and the soldiers stepped between Susan and the centaur. One of the men even held her down which she knew angered Oreius and she had a feeling that he wanted nothing more than to attack the soldier. She just shook her head signalling that she didn't need to be saved. What Narnia really didn't need was a war against Earth.

"Once again, what is the meaning of this, Miss Pevensie?" Mrs Andrews was so red by now that Susan feared for the old woman's life. The man who was addressed as Mr Rutherford stood up as well and stepped beside Mrs Andrews.

"You might know this lady as Miss Susan Pevensie, but in my world she is Queen Susan the Gentle," the centaur answered instead of Susan and the air froze even more. The soldier who has been holding her let her go in his surprise and even took a step back.

"It's good to see you again, Oreius," Susan greeted with a simple smile the centaur, who has been always there for them when they needed help.

"I-I thought _you_ were the leader of this so called Narnia," Mrs Andrews told the centaur with some accusation in her voice.

"Governor only and temporary. Narnia is a kingdom," the centaur simply replied shocking everyone furthermore.

"And you are telling me that one of my students, an English child is your queen?" Mrs Andrews asked with disbelief. Mr Rutherford, whoever he was, looked similarly taken aback. Susan thought that it was time to speak up.

"You speak as if you understand anything about Narnia. The matter is more complicated than you could ever imagine, but yes, while I might be no more than a student in this universe, in Narnia I am a queen." She knew that this was going to be difficult, but she somehow forgot how narrow-minded adults were in this universe. In that moment she chastised herself for behaving like that herself. She had to be faced with a talking bird and a centaur to believe that it wasn't all just a game they played in the countryside.

"This portal has only been opened for a few hours. You most certainly didn't even have the chance to get close to it," the Headmistress said stubbornly and Susan couldn't help but laugh.

"Deep Magic does not work like that. This is most certainly not the first portal between the two universes. The others were simply a bit more hidden. _Spare Oom and War Drobe_ ," she said the end to Oreius who nodded in understanding, but everyone else seemed a lot more confused. It was needed though, she knew. If the centaur wasn't sure of her identity until now, this certainly proved it. Sallowpad himself said that these names were only shared between the council.

"Maybe Miss Pevensie would like to join our meeting," Mr Rutherford said in a sickly sweet tone, but Susan just nodded before once again turning to the Narnian general.

"Lucy is just outside the office," she stated which caused several different reactions. The Headmistress became green now instead of red, Mr Rutherford's forced smile became a frown, and the soldiers looked even more confused. Oreius nodded with clear respect in his eyes and happiness as well (it was a well-known fact that every Narnian just loved Lucy and it was true in the other way around too).

"You mean Miss Lucy Pevensie, your younger sister? That _little girl_? What does she have to do with anything? Why isn't she home as she was supposed to be? Why aren't _you_?" Susan didn't answer for a moment, because she was greatly frustrated by the Headmistress and she most certainly didn't want to say anything she would regret later. Diplomacy and dealing with people was always her resort. Peter was the rock, the one everyone looked upon, who stuck together the four of them. Ed was the Just King, he was known for his fair insight and strategic mind. Lucy was the heart of the monarchy, the reason for the Narnians' utmost loyalty. However, it was her who dealt with the foreign dignitaries – always.

"I might have already mentioned that Narnia is different to England, and I certainly not meant it as just a figure of speech. Who is only a little girl to you is Queen Lucy the Valiant to the Narnian universe," she simply replied. "Just because she looks young doesn't mean that she knows nothing." She most certainly was not going to explain how she was actually thirty-two years old while Lucy was twenty-eight and that this was the second time that she was seventeen. Not now at least.

Mr Rutherford obviously knew more about politics and diplomacy than Mrs Andrews, because even though he looked uncomfortable he told one of the soldiers to find Miss Lucy Pevensie and escort her in. Silence, the real awkward type came then. No one was talking; everyone was just watching the door. About three or four minutes passed when the door opened again and Lucy appeared with the soldier behind her. The moment she laid eyes on Oreius her face broke out in a huge smile and she ran towards the centaur. The soldiers moved as one, but once they realized that only a hug came, they backed down.

"Queen Lucy, you have been dearly missed," the centaur said once the youngest Pevensie let go of him. Susan watched with amusement how everyone around them was utterly speechless. "My, my, I can hardly recognize you. It's been years I've seen you so... young." Oreius was obviously surprised by Lucy's appearance. Susan of course looked younger than her original Narnian age as well, but it was less obvious than with Lucy. There was a big difference between being thirteen and twenty-three after all.

"Universe-travel is rather confusing," Lucy agreed wholeheartedly, not that it was a real explanation, but most probably her sister shared her view.

"I think we need two more chairs for the young Miss Pevensies," Mr Rutherford said pleasantly.

"I am not sure of this world's traditions, but in Narnia all foreign dignitaries are honoured by the usage of their formal style. Correctly it would be Their Majesties," Oreius added. Mr Rutherford continued smiling, but it was now closer to a sneer in Susan's opinion.

"Yes, I apologize. Your Majesties, would you like to take place?" he asked the Pevensies who nodded regally. Susan watched as her sister turned from a thirteen-year-old happily hugging child to an adult queen. At that moment she knew that Lucy was right, this was supposed to happen. They were monarchs, not children no matter what everyone in England thought until now.


	5. V - The Letter

**Author's note: Hey! Sorry for disappearing, this semester was rather rough at university and I had some serious family issues as well. On a brighter note, another very long chapter, nearly 6,5K instead of the usual 4K, because I felt bad for not having the boys earlier and for not updating for this long! Actually this chapter turned out rather differently than I thought it would. I hope you will still like it - I believe it would be hard for Edmund being alone after going to school with Peter for so many years.**

 **Thank you for reading, following and favouriting this story. Special thanks to those who have reviewed the last chapter:** **riml, AllisonReader,** **Chasm-chan,** **BlueRosette23, Guest, random123games, GitaMerah and littleweb. (Yuy, 8 reviews!)**

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" _Great news for someone is always bad news for someone else." ― John Green, Will Grayson, Will Grayson_

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 **V. The Letter**

Watching a tree in England was most certainly not interesting, unlike in Narnia during its Golden Age. (Sadly Telmarine Narnia was much like Earth that way.) Still, it held Edmund's attention more than Mr Boring's lecture on trigonometry. The slight man, who was as pale as death with so light blue eyes that they were closer to white and who had only a few hairbreadths left was actually called Mr Boren, but Edmund was fairly certain that ninety-nine percent of the school population has forgot it the day they were introduced to the man – after all Mr Boring was most certainly a lot more fitting.

"Mr Forster, come to the board," Mr Boring said and suddenly the air froze. No one ever paid attention to the Maths teacher, which was a universally acknowledged rule. However, that meant that every once in a while when he remembered that he was supposed to be actually teaching students and not just mumble to himself about a topic or another, things were bad, real bad. (Not like an invasion of another country, mind you, but to school boys it was close to.)

The student who was called stood up and walked towards the front of the classroom with uncertain steps. Andrew Forster was a scrawny boy with a permanent scowl on his face which was freckled and he had shockingly red hair which was always sticking at odd angles. He turned towards the board where the problem he was supposed to solve was written, but once the chalk was in his right hand, he was frozen.

"Mr Forster?" Mr Boring asked the student impatiently after a long moment of complete silence and no movement. Such rapt attention in this classroom only occurred during oral or written tests. Edmund was watching the scene with mild interest though. While it was most certainly more interesting than the usual lesson, it still didn't make him too flustered. Unlike the rest of the class who were suddenly very much interested in the subject of mathematics. Everyone was looking through their books feverishly or their notes – not that many even had those. Mr Boring's lectures usually put nine out of ten people into a deep sleep within the first five minutes.

"You do not know the answer?" Andrew slowly shook his head without a word. Mr Boring didn't waste another word on him either. He just looked at the student with a dark look and went to his desk. When he leaned forward to write something in his notes, no one needed to see to know what was written in there. The mood became even tenser, because one failed student meant that another would be called (and it went at least until one actually was able to do the task which was rather rare when it came to Mr Boring's Maths class).

It happened – again and again. After Forster it was Thornton, after him it was Wearthly. What was quite interesting at first for Edmund soon became rather lame and boring. About three words have been said in the last ten minutes – no, two, he corrected himself; Thornton and Wearthly have been called out, those two names only meant two words. Once again his attention was diverted simply by looking out the window which was right next to his desk where he sat alone. He saw a squirrel running up an oak tree and entertained the thought of it being a Talking Beast. He imagined greeting the little creature and it answering. At that exact moment he caught the eyes of the squirrel and was disappointed to see that he looked no more intelligent than any other rodent he had come across in England.

"PEVENSIE!" He suddenly looked up only to notice Mr Boring right in front of him. The class snickered which earned a rather dark look from the teacher, but he didn't comment on it. He was probably too preoccupied with Edmund.

"To the board now!" the man all but shouted, though he was standing right before Edmund. He slowly nodded and got up. He passed his desk and all of his classmates' who were sitting before him. Quite a few called out but all of them were shut up by the teacher quite quickly.

"How dare you not paying attention to the class?" he was asked once he reached the board. He turned around and noted that Mr Boring was right after him. Once upon a time he would have answered that question and he would have pointed out to the teacher that no one ever paid any attention during this class, but that was before he learned when to speak and when to shut it. Many of the skills required during their long reign in Narnia were rather useless in an English boarding school – now, this one was certainly not in that category.

"I apologise, Mr Boren," he muttered and turned towards the problem. When the first student was called out Edmund actually studied the task, so now he only needed a moment to remember what he was exactly supposed to do. He skilfully drew the needed angles to the complicated looking drawing and wrote down the needed formulas to the rest of the blackboard. Once he was ready he put the chalk down and turned towards Mr Boring who was standing there with opened mouth.

"Very... elegant solution Mr Pevensie," he stated and Edmund noted the surprise and the confusion in his tone. "Si-sit down, young man. I want you to pay attention to the class from now on, but good work anyway." He dabbed. Edmund simply walked back towards his desk only to nearly fall in an outstretched leg. Once he regained his balance and posture he looked up and met the dark eyes of Andrew Forster who was sneering at him. Edmund pretended not to notice and he just sat back to his chair and picked up his pen.

"Now, who has an idea what Mr Pevensie did exactly?" Mr Boring asked the class but no one raised their hands to answer. Before the teacher could be angered by the lack of response though, the bell rang and the class ended. He tried to keep the class in order, but that exact moment everyone was ready to jump up and leave the room.

Edmund was slower than the rest, because he simply saw no reason to run towards his next class. He hardly had anyone to spend the short break with and he most certainly did not wish the loudness of his classmates at that moment. He only looked up when someone cleared his mouth right next to him. Mr Boring was once again by his side.

"Mr Pevensie, where did you learn this method?" he was asked. Edmund was not about to tell the man before him that the centaurs had their own versions of mathematics which at some points differed from what was taught in English schools even if that was the truth.

"During the evacuation we were sent to the countryside to a professor. He taught us some maths as well," he simply replied. The teacher nodded with the sad and faraway look that adults always wore when children mentioned the War they had to live through.

"While I am glad that you already know how to solve these problems, I would like you to follow my lessons. I accept any good result, but it would certainly not hurt you to learn this method as well." Edmund of course quietly agreed not that he really meant it. He bid good-bye to the old teacher and left the room, though he looked back to see a very annoyed Andrew Forster who was at that moment quarrelling with the teacher about his poor performance when it came to Maths. Edmund knew well that this was certainly not the first time his classmate did not know the answer.

He sat down to his usual seat in the History classroom and took out a book from his backpack, which was about the War of the Roses. He ran his hand through the rose patterns on the cover and opened it with a care. Ever since his first trip to Narnia history became a passion to him – it was nearly everything he was missing he supposed. (Of course it did not give back the pure essence of Narnia, the magic in the air, but it was as close to it as one could get on Earth.) However, politics, power and adventure it certainly contained. It was all about governing and strategy. While reading about one thing was sadly not as enjoyable as actually doing it, but he soon realized once he was back that medieval England was not that different from the country he loved and missed so much. Of course the inhabitants were different, there was no Aslan or Deep Magic, but the internal problems and international conflicts were rather similar.

When he has just started reading again the door of the classroom opened with such brute force that it nearly broke out of its place. He looked up with clear irritation on his face for being interrupted. He quickly recognised that Andrew Forster was the reason for disruption. The redhead to his surprise started walking in his direction.

"You think you are so much better than us, Pevensie?" he asked once he reached Edmund's desk. Obviously Mr Boring has said something to Andrew that he didn't like and it had something to do with Edmund.

"I most certainly do not know what you are talking about, but I was trying to read. So maybe you could leave?" he simply asked not wanting to start a fight. He always hated fighting, because he felt it unfair to hit back knowing his own skills and education, but if he didn't then he would be labelled a coward. It was one of those lose-lose situations.

He didn't exactly like talking with Andrew Forster. The reason was simple – when they started attending the boarding school, they were best friends. However, he hated being reminded of _that_ Edmund. Once they were back to school after the evacuation and Andrew realised how much he has changed, he turned entirely against Edmund. Now he was the number one on the list of potential people to bully.

"War of Roses, really? Is it some type of romance novel for girls, _Ella_?" Many snickered at the name, but Edmund noted that some of his classmates just rolled their eyes. They most probably found Andrew and the others extremely stupid for not knowing what the War of Roses was, especially considering that they were just about to attend a History lesson.

Edmund's day just became worse. The exact same moment the history teacher entered. He was a younger man, pretty young at least considering the many ancient teachers they had, around thirty-five who must have heard Andrew's rather harsh and loud reply.

"Mr Forster, how about you tell us all about the War of Roses," he said rather happily as he passed the desk. He stopped by his own in the front and called out to Forster again. Of course Andrew knew nothing of the Houses of Plantagenet and Lancaster and the episodes of war between them which lasted for more than three decades. According to his classmates though, it was all Edmund's fault for being such a goody two-shoes and reading history books during breaks as well. It seemed no matter what he did or said, he just dig the pit under him deeper. He supposed it wasn't surprising – these were fifteen-year-old boys, while he was mentally exactly the double of that, _thirty_.

His siblings were always better at socialising than he was and yet they had problems. He knew for fact that even Lucy who had countless friends and was on good terms with everyone in her year group felt alone rather often. He hardly felt it these five years since their reign has ended, because during the summer holiday all four of them were together and during the school year Peter and he were pretty much inseparable. Yet, Peter was not there with him anymore. This was his first year without his older brother around, but sadly it was far from his last.

That afternoon, after being accused of ruining the day of many of his classmates (because after the foolishness of Forster, the history teacher just like Mr Boring had done, started on a mass questioning with similar results) and being made fun of, Edmund had enough of English school boys.

Sitting in a cemetery was most certainly not a normal afternoon program for a fifteen-year-old, he knew well. However, the sun was shining, the trees still had a lush green colour even though it was already autumn, and he wanted to be away from everyone – to be honest from England altogether. However, the truth was that sadly that was impossible. He was stuck there for the rest of his life, (which was a rather sobering and sad thought in his opinion.)

The boarding school was once a mansion of a nobleman and a whole village was built around it with its own cemetery just behind the grounds with an old church, that hasn't been used for one reason or another for quite a long time. It was literally crumbling by now. Officially it was off limit for the students, and most certainly did not go there ever. As far as he knew the reasons were that it was in a way already out of the limit of the grounds and that the ruined church was dangerous. At first Edmund only entered it because of a dare in his first year, he had to go on All Hallows' Eve at midnight, which at that time was rather scary. He completely forgot about it for quite a long time. It was actually Peter who found it again on a similar occasion years later once they were back from their last trips of Narnia and then dragged Edmund with him.

The reason why Peter was so excited was actually no more than a statue. The graves were mostly very old and not well maintained. Edmund could hardly take out a few letters of names here and there. There were some rather fresh graves around, though not many. There was a new cemetery by the now used church, he believed. One of the newer ones, very close to the wall which separated the school ground from the cemetery only had a rather small tombstone with just a name on it, but right behind it was a statue of a great lion as if the feline was guarding the grave. There was something about the lion though, that made the hearts of both Pevensie brothers skip a beat once they saw it. The lion was majestic, but untamed. Those stone eyes held wisdom and wildness, but tender love as well. Edmund frequently chastised himself that he was just imagining things, and it was a simple statue, but somehow every time he looked at the stone figure he felt warmth and not once he was sure to hear a roar.

As always when he escaped to the cemetery, he was sitting under an old oak tree which was planted right next to the wall and faced the lion. He was reading his book again, but once in a while he looked up and studied the statue. It was a silly thing, but in all England he felt closest to Narnia here under the watchful eyes of Aslan's stone copy. It was hard to imagine that he could never see the one true king of Narnia again; it always made his heart ache. He was pretty sure that this wasn't what the Great Lion meant when he told Edmund that he should find him in England, but truth to be told, he was not exactly sure where else to find him.

"I didn't know anyone else ever came here." He was startled by the voice. He looked up from his book to notice a small mousy haired boy. He was most probably hardly younger than Edmund himself, maybe a year or two, but the way he held himself made him look more like a child than someone close to manhood. He was wearing the exact same uniform Edmund had as well, so he must have come from the school.

He just shrugged and leaned against the tree while the boy was standing around awkwardly.

"It's peaceful here," Edmund simply stated. He wasn't going to tell a complete stranger that most of his classmates found him odd and didn't like him or how he found a stone lion's presence comforting. None of those things were something he would have shared with anyone except for his siblings who were all somewhere else now.

"Well, I was not completely honest with you. I have actually seen you around before, but I was never brave enough to come here when you or that other boy was here." Edmund thought that the conversation was over, but he soon realised that he was wrong.

"My brother," he simply added. The boy nodded and to Edmund's greatest surprise he suddenly took place right next to him. He stared at the lion for a long moment and didn't open his mouth again. Edmund was just about to go back to his book, when the silence was broken.

"I come here rather often. That's my uncle's grave – or rather _memorial_. He isn't exactly buried there," he pointed to the gravestone Edmund knew rather well, because it was the one guarded by the stone lion. He put down his book and turned towards the boy in surprise. Every people were different but this certainly wasn't a piece of information he would have shared with a stranger.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he muttered, but the boy just shrugged.

"I never knew him," he simply answered and once again there was silence between them. Before he decided to pick up his book though, the boy started talking again. "I've seen you looking intensely at that stupid statue before, that's why I told you." Now this peaked up Edmund's curiosity. Not the part that he was being watched (though that thought made him rather uncomfortable), but that the boy described the lion statue with such adjective. Even if someone knew nothing of the Great Lion there was something about the statue which made it majestic.

"Stupid?" he echoed and he watched as a bitter smile appeared on the shy boy's face.

"My uncle was my father's younger brother. They were very close, but then one day, he just disappeared. Never been found, but he was named dead after a few years. My father took it pretty well, though he never seemed to accept that his brother was dead. He always said that he was _away_. Then he had a dream or whatnot several years ago. He saw a lion," the boy gestured towards the statue and then continued," who told him that his brother has been living a fulfilling life in another world. Since then... well, my father has changed. Let's just leave it to that." Edmund took a sharp breath. _Lion, other world, disappearance._ Where he has heard something like that before, he asked himself a bit bitterly and sarcastically, knowing full well why the tale was familiar. He was not certain why a boy he didn't even know the name of would share such an intimate tale, but based on the faraway look he had, he was rather lonely and most probably he just wanted to tell anyone what was on his mind, what made the rather shy looking boy sound so bitter.

Edmund watched the statue for a very long moment and he was kind of disappointed when there was no change in it. He actually anticipated that it would move or give any sign that it was more than a piece of mundane stone. His mind wandered though, to the boy's story. Did his uncle remain in Narnia? Did Aslan really appear to his father in a dream?

Then a rather strange thought came to his mind, one that hasn't plagued it for about fifteen years now. While Narnia has very soon after their coronation became their home, at first they thought a lot about what was happening in England. To make it all worse, there was the whole War going on, their father fighting for his country and life. The idea of never seeing their parents at such a tender age was rather frightening, not even knowing if they were alive or dead. Especially, considering that they couldn't know what everyone would think of their disappearance. Would the Professor call their parents that suddenly the four of them weren't in his house? Would the police be looking for them for years without ever suspecting a wardrobe as the one who took the children away? Wouldn't the Professor being suspected for doing something with them? Would any time even pass while they were Narnia? After all it didn't the first time they entered it. That was the exact reason why none of the other three siblings believed the youngest when she talked about the world in the wardrobe she has just found.

While getting back to their English life was rather hard and now the idea of never going back to Narnia was more than saddening, Edmund had to admit that there was one good thing of finding that wardrobe again – not just disappearing from Earth without a trace (the downside was of course that they actually did that in Narnia, they just disappeared during the hunt for the White Stag not being heard of until more than a thousand years later). He was rather curious though why they were sent back to England while the boy's uncle could remain in Narnia. In a way it felt rather unfair to Edmund, especially considering that they never had a choice. He wandered if that uncle had one. If he wanted to could he got back to his brother and to his family, to England?

"I like the statue," he said eventually rather quietly, still being lost in his thoughts. "There is something... _magnificent_ in him." Magnificent was hardly a word to describe the Great Lion, but he found no better at that moment. The High King was magnificent, but the one true king? There must not have been a good enough English word to describe Aslan especially to someone who has never met him. He also hoped that the boy wouldn't comment on the slip he made, calling the statue _him_ instead of _it_.

"Is that the reason why you are always here?" the boy asked in a similar manner though there was obvious curiosity in his tone rather than the previous bitterness.

"I guess it's as good place as any to get away," Edmund shrugged not exactly lying, but certainly not telling the complete truth. The boy most certainly didn't need to know that he was sitting next to one of the old monarchs of the kingdom that probably took away his uncle. Not to mention that he was dearly missing the country that was taken away from him, and he came here because he felt the closest to it at the cemetery.

"My name is James," he suddenly extended his hands. Edmund shook it with a small smile.

"I'm Edmund." After that they remained silent. For a minute or two Edmund didn't reach for his book waiting if James wanted to say something, but then the boy himself picked out a book from his backpack which was very similar to Edmund's. They remained there for the rest of the afternoon quietly reading, not once opening their mouths. The older boy had a feeling that both of them had just too much on their mind to share their thoughts with others.

"We should be going back," James suddenly broke the silence hours later when it was already twilight.

Edmund nodded and they packed up their bags. He looked at the statue one last time and muttered under his breath. "It was good to see you again."

"It might sound a bit strange, but would you mind sitting with me during supper? My brother has just graduated and I feel a bit alone," the younger boy said in a hopeful, but rather timid and shy tone which suited his mousy look a lot more than bitterness. Edmund quickly agreed not wanting to disappoint the boy and liking the idea a bit as well.

James as it turned out during dinner was in fact rather shy once he wasn't in a story sharing mood. However, this was the first time this year that Edmund actually enjoyed sitting in the hall and didn't wish for the opportunity to eat his dinner alone in his dorm. When Edmund asked if his brother ever went to the cemetery with James the boy answered that everyone dealt with grief differently and his brother hated cemeteries altogether. Edmund also learned that unlike Peter, James's older brother didn't go to university instead he joined the military.

That evening though has been worse than any other recently no matter how enjoyable the supper was. There were four other boys in his dorm all from his year group, three who shared his lessons as well, so were there at both Maths and History. He received so many glares and has been called bad names so many times that he gave up on counting. He had a feeling that Forster's new hobby was making him look like the bad guy in the eyes of their classmates'. At least Forster himself had a room quite far from Edmund's dorm, so they haven't seen each other after the classes.

According to the rules he should have been sleeping by now. To his surprise his roommates who were not known of their obedience were actually doing just that. He couldn't sleep though; his mind was on the stone lion and James's story again. He thought about writing to his siblings and telling them of the matter, but in a way he felt that the topic was too heavy to write it down in a single letter. They of course knew that there were people who stayed in Narnia. It was a rather well-known notion that in the Narnian universe there weren't even supposed to be any, yet most countries were in fact inhibited by humans, nowadays even Narnia. Still, it was one thing to hear it in Narnia and completely different in England. He wasn't sure why it hurt so much more, but it certainly did.

He was sitting in the window sill watching the darkness only illuminated by the Moon and the stars, though of course his mind was wandering through an entirely different world where nothing was ever so still. He opened the window slightly, while making sure that he wouldn't fall down as his room was on the third floor, he needed some fresh air though, because his negative thoughts were suffocating him. _Were they not good enough for Narnia?_

His eyes caught movement, something dark, a large bird maybe. The bird was flying rather slowly and very closely to the wall. He stuck to the window in a way that he could follow the movement of the animal. He wasn't sure why he was so interested, but there was something strange in the way the bird was flying around. He noted that it stopped by every window as if it was looking inside. He watched it happening for a few moments and then to his surprise it landed right in front of him. Only now did he notice another strange thing – there was something white in its beak. Was it a letter? Edmund creased his forehead in confusion. As far as he knew birds weren't exactly the way letters were delivered in England in the 1940s.

He wasn't exactly sure in the darkness, but he was fairly certain that it was a raven, though larger than he supposed those usually were. Also, it seemed to spend more time on his window sill than any other before, though some have been opened, because the weather was yet to turn to worse and the air was quite freshening. He looked directly in the eyes of the raven that was studying him curiously (as much as animal on Earth was capable of that). In the darkness of night he wasn't sure, but there was something in the eyes of the bird that he actually looked for in the squirrel's eyes during Maths class. _Intelligence_.

He was most probably going crazy. There were no Talking Beasts in England or anywhere else on Earth, yet for a moment he was nearly sure that this one belonged to that group. It had most probably to do with James's upsetting story and how he has been thinking of Narnia the whole day, something that was brought on him most probably by the absence of Peter. In Narnia they were rather rarely out of each other's sight after all.

His roommates already thought he was mad and they were all sleeping (and snoring), and he again felt utterly alone. Most probably that was the reason why he opened his mouth when there was only a bird around and awake. Lucy was the one to go around talking to animals even if those didn't understand her, most certainly not him.

"Good evening," he said somewhat stupidly. He regretted the moment the words were out of his mouth, because one of his roommates turned around his bed right after. He had no idea how his younger sister could go around and pretend that these dumb beasts understood her when they clearly didn't. So, of course he was most certainly surprised when the bird carefully put down the letter from its beak right in front of its legs and looked in to his eyes.

"Good evening to you too, sir," it answered in a masculine and familiar tone. Edmund was just about to jump up when he realised he was sitting on the window still, so instead he pinched himself. It hurt. Then he started blinking as if the raven would disappear if he did it enough times. "Are you feeling well, sir?" the bird asked once again. Edmund looked around with fear and confusion and noted that none of his roommates were woken up by the talking bird.

"Are you not _lost_?" Edmund slowly asked the bird leaning closer to it. Well, there were humans in Narnia. Maybe there were Talking Beasts in England as well? Still, that seemed rather strange. If this was really a Narnian Talking Beast then it most probably somehow got lost and got transported to Earth. Maybe the same way they first got to Narnia through the wardrobe in the Professor's mansion?

"Not anymore, sir. My Queens have told me that this is the world of Adam and Eve," the bird answered proudly and Edmund stilled. World of Adam and Eve. _Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve_ , the expression ringed in his ears. Then another part of the sentence flashed into his mind – My Queens. Surely, the bird, no, Raven, didn't mean _those two_ Daughters of Eve.

"Do you mean Queen Susan and Queen Lucy?" he asked cautiously, not entirely believing what was going on. First some bird started talking in his window sill and now it mentioned his sisters as his rulers. The bird nodded with obvious grace. There was something familiar about the Raven other than the obvious Talking Beast peculiarities. He had a feeling that he knew this bird personally.

"Is it you then, my liege?" the Raven asked with utter respect. Edmund straightened himself not caring about the fact that a centimetre or two more would have caused some serious headache, because he was close to hitting his head.

"It is my dear cousin," Edmund said in a regal but friendly tone which spoke about his royal background, but made sure that no subject would feel left out and unloved.

"Your royal sisters asked me to give you this letter." The Raven once again picked up the letter with its beak and now put it down right in front of Edmund, who unfolded it with shaking hands. This had to be a dream, but yet it felt so real. He certainly hoped it wasn't just his mind's game on him, because he wasn't sure he would be able to bear the disappointment.

It was so dark that he could hardly take the words out, but after a few minutes he was sure he got the gist.

 _Dear Ed,_

 _if you are reading this then most probably you already know that something big is happening. You will hardly believe what this is really about. A few hours ago I came across a portal, blue swirling energy and all, right behind the building of Year One on our school ground. I saw a centaur – yes, a real Narnian centaur – and a Hare – with capital letter, really._

 _The teachers and staff saw it as well and everything became a whole lot more complicated as you can imagine. By now we shouldn't be at school, every girl was put on a train and sent home. However, Su and I tricked them, we weren't about to leave the school when Narnia came to us. Yes, Narnia. It is most certainly true by now, the portal leads to our beloved country._

 _Then we accidentally met a Raven, the one who gave you the letter. I'm not sure if you have recognised him, most probably not, I reckon, because it's hard to believe: it's Sallowpad. Yes, the one and the same who went with you and Su to Calormen. How it is possible we do not know for sure. All that is certain is that the portal leads to a Narnia where we have been only gone for about half a year, yes, to the Golden Age of Narnia. Su and I decided not mention to Sallowpad or any other Narnians we might come into contact with our other journeys to Narnia and what we have seen of the Telmarine times. We aren't sure how the whole time and reality problem is working, but we didn't want to share this piece of information without you and Pete._

 _However, we decided (yes, Susan as well) not to just sit around while English officers are playing a game they don't know the rules of. Narnia and England needs us as well now, so we are to get in the role we were rather good at – Queens. We will reveal our identity some way to the school leadership and military and ministry workers. It will most probably happen by the time you read this letter, so don't be surprised to receive a ministry officer first thing next morning who wants to speak with you. The portal has been seen by so many people by now that I cannot see this not going national (or rather international). I would not be surprised if tomorrow all the headlines would be going on about a newly discovered universe. However, we do not know the nature of the gate between the worlds, but it does not look like the wardrobe which only worked for certain people at certain times. I also believe it to be rather permanent as it seems do many adults._

 _I am sorry to make so many decisions without you and our royal brother, but there was no time. We are not even in the position to contact Peter. If you could find a way to let him know what is going on before an officer would, Su and I would be very grateful. Peter is rather used to being the one in control and charge so I believe hearing all this from some random stranger who does not even know exactly what he is talking about would upset him greatly._

 _While this is certainly not the way any of us anticipated seeing our beloved country again, I hope that our plan to get involved in the diplomatic negotiations between Narnia and Earth will not upset you, instead will cause you the same type of joy I am feeling at the moment. (Because once our role is revealed I believe that there will be no turning back.) Susan is quite accepting of the situation as well, though I have to admit she was rather incredulous at first_.

 _With love,_

 _your sisters, Lu and Su,_

 _or I suppose rather Queen Lucy the Valiant and Queen Susan the Gentle of Narnia_

Millions of thoughts ran through his mind at that moment. Once he pocketed the letter the Raven tilted his head and looked at him questioningly.

"Sallowpad, it is good to see you my dear friend," Edmund said with a small smile, but it was even hard to form a coherent sentence. He now most certainly needed a good night sleep or his brain would just blow up. Too much information in a single letter, he concluded.

"It is my pleasure, Your Majesty," Sallowpad replied with a bow of his head. "Would you like to send any message to your royal sisters?" Edmund was hesitant for a moment, but then he nodded.

"Tell them that I understand and I agree with their plan. I will be with them as soon as possible and I will try to get in contact with the High King as well." So much to do and in so little time. If he wanted to be angry with his sisters he wouldn't be able, because he understood them all too well. He was already feeling that they were left behind and that they had to move – plans to make, worlds to save. Yes, who needed any sleep? There was certainly no time for that not when two such different universes just learned of each other.


	6. VI - The Promise

**Author's note: Hey! As I said, I'm not about to disappear again. Here is the new chapter already, this time Edmund again, but next we will have Peter. About this chapter: well, until now all their plans seemed to work too well, don't you think?**

 **Thank you for reading, following and favouriting this story. Special thanks to those who have reviewed the last chapter:** **Dragons-Twilight1992,** **BlueRosette23, Sherona849, riml, random123games, Guest,** **AllisonReader, obsessive360 and Aaurum. (That's really 9 reviews!)**

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" _The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised."― George F. Will_

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 **VI. The Promise**

Once the Raven left Edmund felt once again all alone and if it wasn't for the letter in his hands, he surely would have thought that the last hour or so was only a dream. It was one thing though that he promised the girls through Sallowpad to get everything in order and a completely different to actually do it. The truth was that he was absolutely uncertain what he was supposed to do just now. There were so many unknown factors. Did the school leadership and the ministry believe Su and Lu? Were they going to look for him and Peter? Would the girls' classmates tell the truth to their parents and would the news spread like wildfire as his sisters suspected? Would it really turn out a freaking international drama?

His head was buzzing with questions and a serious headache was surely forming (even if he at the end didn't hit his head in the window's frame). He leaned against the cool glass of the window for a moment, but then he straightened. He had to do something, sitting around would not solve any problems or even answer any of his questions. The room was completely dark, the only light came from through the windows, the stars and the moon illuminating the sky, but it was hardly enough to get by. However, he didn't want to wake his roommates, so it had to do. He first changed into something else than his sleeping garment. Then he quickly grabbed a sack, one he usually used to carry his books around and put a few important things in it – his torch (one he got from his siblings after he left his in Narnia), some clothing, papers and the letter. He wasn't exactly sure what he would need or even how long he was supposed to be gone, be he had a feeling that it wouldn't be a short trip.

"Pevensie?" He stilled when he heard his name. To his surprise the moment he turned around to find the source of the noise he was faced with one of his roommates in sleeping garment. It was Matthew Ryder, the only boy in his dorm who didn't share his lessons. Ryder was a fairly light sleeper, he knew well, though that was close to all what he knew about the boy, so he wasn't surprised that out of all his dorm-mates, he woke him. Ryder was tall for his age, but he reminded Edmund of a skeleton, he was skinny without any muscle, so he was fairly sure that if needed, he could easily take on the other boy.

"Ryder," he acknowledged the boy without any emotion in his tone.

"Care to tell me what the hell you are doing?" Edmund looked around to make sure that all the other boys were fast asleep after he grabbed the backpack and he slowly opened the door, slipping through it, without even looking at the taller boy not to mention answering his question. He closed the door behind himself, and just as he was measuring his environment, the eerily dark and unoccupied corridor, the door opened again. Ryder was awkwardly leaning out, his messy dark blonde curls falling into his eyes from what Edmund could see in the dark.

"You know the rule – one is in trouble, all of them are too," Ryder hissed and he slipped out of the room as well. Edmund just crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the corridor. He was not exactly sure of his plan just yet, but it certainly did not contain any of his roommates, especially one he hardly knew at all.

"That's unfortunate, because I'm going and – alone." He turned around and started walking down the corridor. Their room was on the third floor, so sadly he couldn't just climb out of the window. The problem was that the front door was closed for the night, so he guessed he had to find a window on a lower floor. Just as he was slowly descending the first staircase, trying to make no sound at all, he was poked. He turned around furiously only to meet the light eyes of Ryder again.

"Where are you going?" he asked curiously.

"It's none of your business," Edmund snapped, though he tried to remain as quiet as possible. He really didn't need anyone else up. Since their reign he was actually the calm one who made sure that Peter didn't make a rash decision, but every once in the while he lost his cool. He didn't go around provoking fights as his brother did, but he most certainly could be annoyed.

"You know, if I told on you now, then I wouldn't get a punishment," Ryder stated and Edmund was just about to shut him up with fist power when a thought came to him. While the all girls' school his sister attended was rather close by, the closest boarding school actually to this place, but it was certainly not in a walking distance. Why try to sneak out when he could just be taken there? The letter he received pointed out that the girls would include Peter and him as well, so he shouldn't be surprised to receive attention from people high up on the food chain. He could actually just go sleep now and probably by the time tomorrow he would go to breakfast someone would be waiting for him to take him to the girls.

Still, he didn't like the idea of just sitting (or sleeping) around. Every moment could count in a situation like this and while he trusted his sisters, the four of them always reigned together and it was unlike them to do make decisions without the other two. He most certainly didn't like the idea of his sisters making inter-dimensional political plans while he was sleeping in a dorm with fellow students not even knowing what was going on.

"Okay, then take me to a teacher," Edmund simply said to the other blonde who gawked at him. He could simply go to any teacher on his own, but without being out of line they would just shoo him away. This way they had to actually pay at least a bit attention to him.

"What?" Ryder looked at him with wide eyes. With his light colouring and white sleeping garment, in the eerie light of the moon in the darkness Ryder looked rather terrifying. He was so tall that he towered over Edmund, though the other blonde knew that he wouldn't exactly be a serious opponent.

"Just take me to the resident-hall director," Edmund sighed at the puzzled student. While this was certainly not something the other boy has heard many times before, it wasn't such a complicated statement to understand. A moment later Ryder nodded and grabbed Edmund's right arm, though the other boy easily freed himself, but he followed the other boy anyway.

The dorm supervisor or resident-hall director was actually just a student, one close to leaving school, so an older one, but Edmund knew that if he made a show, he would be escorted to some bigger fish, to a teacher or maybe even to the headmaster. He needed to get out of the dorm building and get in touch with some of the school's leaders, pretty much how the girls wanted to do it. Though, of course they had the added bonus of having that portal on their school ground and having Narnians running around. From what he has heard though, the headmaster's daughters (two girls around Susan's age or a bit younger if the rumours were true) attended Saint Finbar's, which was this school's sister school. So if the parents were notified, the headmaster should know something about the whole business.

Ryder knocked on the door of the dorm supervisor, which was located on the second floor of the dorm, pretty much right under their room. "Coming! Coming," the supervisor muttered after a few moments of complete silence. The door opened and they were faced with the guy they both have only just seen around a few times, because until this year their dorm's supervisor was none other than Peter. He was big boned and his nose was so big, that there was hardly space for anything else on his face.

"Sorry for waking you up, but Pevensie was leaving our room with a backpack," Ryder said seriously. The supervisor looked at the pair of them with confusion; probably he was still half-sleeping. Obviously Peter was better in this than this guy.

"Go back to sleep, both of you," the boy around eighteen grunted. Okay, this guy most certainly only wanted the job, because he got his own room this way, not to help the teachers and the students alike.

"Look, I really need to speak with a teacher or preferably with the headmaster as soon as possible," Edmund stated with a sigh. The freaking ministry was most probably quick (they governed the whole country after all and he knew what type of task that was) – he promised the girls to be the one to notify Peter, they wouldn't even look for an occasion to do it now, it was his responsibility. If he didn't get to a teacher soon, Peter would be woken up next day by some ministry official to be taken back to England without even knowing what was going on. Then he would be killed by his brother, which was not a nice future vision, mind you. He should have just told the girls through Sallowpad to get in touch with Peter themselves. Obviously all those big ministry and military officials would have been able to get hold of the eldest Pevensie sibling. But now it was all too late – he promised the girls he would do it and Sallowpad probably already even gave the message to them.

"Kid, it's freaking night time, I'm sure it can wait," the supervisor replied and was about to close the door when he stopped suddenly. "Wait! You are not about to kill yourself, right?" he asked somewhat warily and Edmund looked at him with confusion. How did he come to that conclusion?

"No?" he offered. The supervisor nodded with a huge grin and with a quick wave he closed the door before the two of them. Great, this was just great. Yes, the girls would surely kill him for not contacting Peter, but that wouldn't be a problem, because the High King would first finish him off for leaving him in a situation like that. The problem was as Lucy pointed out that Peter loved being in control, it came with being the eldest, the father figure and the High King, all in one person, but it also meant that when he wasn't, well, the word grumpy wouldn't just describe it.

"Are we going back then?" Ryder asked curiously gesturing towards the staircase which led to the third floor where their room was. For a moment Edmund hesitated, but then he shook his head.

"Sorry, I have places to be," Edmund replied and started walking, though in the same direction as the same staircase led to lower levels as well. He didn't count with Ryder being so persistent though.

"Places to be?" he asked curiously. The other boy remained silent for a few seconds, but then he shrugged. Everyone would notice his disappearance anyway and knowing Lucy and how hard she would fight for Narnia; their names would come up again and again in the newspapers. That one letter was most certainly not enough to give him an insight on what was exactly going on, but he had the gist – Narnia came to England and they had to mediate between the two countries or rather two universes. That was something they couldn't exactly keep a secret for long.

"Look, most probably tomorrow's papers will be full of articles of a portal to another universe. I-I'm needed there." It sounded pretty lame to his ears as well, but the disbelieving look he got, still hurt.

"Portal to another universe?" the boy echoed.

"Narnia," Edmund simply stated. "It's hard to believe, I know, but my brother is going to have a heart attack if I can't get hold of him." Ryder leaned closer to him and looked around as if he was afraid that someone was listening to their conversation.

"I mean I get why your brother would freak out from such news, I'm freaking out at the thought of it as well and I'm not even certain what the hell is going on or if I should even listen to you, but why would it help if you called him or what?" This was probably the most Edmund has ever heard Ryder talk. Because the boy was the only one in his dorm he didn't even share a single lesson with, they hardly ever talked, and he didn't even see him talk to the other boys. He supposed Ryder spent most of his time with his friends from his own classes, so he didn't know much about him at all other than his sleeping habits.

"It's hard to explain, but my siblings and I know more about what is going on at the moment than the leadership and governments of the entire planet. Most probably tomorrow someone will take me away from this school and I won't be back at least for a while. As you see, I know about this before anyone else here, but my brother doesn't. I want him to get notified before he is taken away." Narnia was always a secret of his and his siblings. It was a strange thing to speak about it and they have been lying about it for so long that it felt wrong now to share any information with someone else, it felt like betraying their beautiful magical land and his siblings as well. Still, thanks to the girls, everything was about to change.

"So tomorrow you will be kidnapped by the government?" Ryder asked curiously with boyish excitement in his voice. Saying like that did sound exciting, Edmund supposed.

"Something like that," he agreed half-heartedly. He wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen, but it seemed likely. Lucy for sure wouldn't let the government just forget about them, if needed she would fight with everything she had (and he didn't just mean her dagger or bow) to be able to represent Narnia, not that it wasn't logical if the portal really led to the Golden Age of Narnia, only a half a year or so after their fateful hunting trip. After all they were the lawful and reigning monarchs of Narnia then – the whole empire, though not the entire universe, he supposed. Still, King Lune and many of the other rulers were their allies. It wouldn't surprise Edmund if they were to become the representative of the entire Narnian universe. They were the only ones of the Narnian leadership after all who had even a general idea of how things went on Earth.

"How could you know so much about another universe? I didn't even know any existed!" Ryder exclaimed. Edmund sat down on one of the stairs knowing that this might turn into a long conversation. He put the backpack right next to him and was not surprised that Ryder sat down as well. He wasn't exactly sure why he even bothered with the boy, why he didn't just leave him there, though he supposed Ryder seemed like the type who didn't easily give up and he most certainly didn't need a puppy trailing him and wreaking havoc.

"We have been there," he simply stated. "My siblings and I." If not in the next issue of the newspapers then in the one after it, it would all come to light as well, and maybe having Ryder as an ally for the rest of the night might not be that bad. He wasn't ready to give up on notifying Peter and getting to know what was going on exactly with his sisters. Of course, it wasn't just him and his siblings, but his cousin, his cousin's friend, the professor, the professor's friend, but Edmund wasn't about to go there. He knew that sooner or later they had to get in contact with all the people who have ever been to Narnia (and the Pevensies knew about), but at the moment their identity was unknown and he wanted it to remain like that. He was rather curious if his sisters shared his ideas, or not only did they make a move without Peter and him, but the other friends of Narnia as well.

"How?" Ryder asked with clear awe in his voice. It was somehow entertaining, Edmund had to admit. He wasn't sure if his roommate even believed him, but it was actually rather interesting to talk about Narnia to someone who knew nothing of it.

"Through a wardrobe," and being swept away by magic at a train station and through a painting, he added to himself, but he agreed with the girls on not sharing their other adventures, just the longest one, the first one, the reason why they found themselves fit for representing the country in a peace treaty. It would be confusing enough for most people, learning about another magical universe. Even they who lived in that world for more than a decade couldn't understand how differently time worked there, so telling others that they actually knew another version of Narnia as well, one more than a thousand years later, would be quite strange for the general audience. "A magical one, mind you."

"Magical?" Ryder echoed once again. That was one of the biggest problems. Many thought that Earth was not the only occupied planet, but Edmund was pretty sure that only a few would have ever imagined that another planet or universe or whatnot had magic and mythical creatures.

"Yes, Narnia... is different. Look, just watch out for the news tomorrow and you will see. Talking animals are quite normal for Narnia as well as creatures we would call mythical, centaurs, giants, nymphs and all. I'm not sure if you believe me at all, but I guess that a part you can certainly accept, that I really need to speak with a teacher. My sisters are not exactly in trouble – I don't think anyone would dare to hurt them in this situation – but they need me as soon as possible as does my brother." There, he said it, he just hoped that in fact Ryder would be a good ally or at least he would try to help him.

"You know, I have a brother as well," Ryder stated and Edmund nodded along. He wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to say to that. Good for you, maybe? "He actually teaches here, Latin and Ancient Greek." Edmund looked at the other blonde with wide eyes. He wasn't exactly surprised that he didn't know such a big piece of information of his roommate; he never paid much attention to him, really, but still.

"Your brother is a teacher here?" Edmund echoed. This was it what he just needed.

"That's what I've just said," his companion said rather smugly, probably it felt good to be the one to be copied and repeated for once.

"Then can you help me? Can you get me to the headmaster or at least to a telephone?" Now this was the moment of truth. Ryder was still and silent for a moment which seemed to last for an impossibly long time to Edmund.

"Yeah, I guess. He will surely help," Ryder stated. "He is great, you know." Edmund quite agreed to that statement. Though, anyone who could get him to a telephone would have been incredibly great in his opinion at that moment. The two of them just got up, when suddenly Edmund felt a hand on his left shoulder. The problem was that Ryder was sitting on his right and his backpack was even between them.

"What are you still doing out of your room?" Edmund stiffened at that voice, because he recognized it. He has just heard it a few minutes ago after all – it was the resident-hall director. He quickly got up, not caring about the hand on his shoulder and faced the older boy.

"Look, I told you, I need to see a teacher now," he said completely in business mode. Maybe this guy wasn't as bad supervisor as he previously thought. Maybe he wasn't even going to need the older Ryder's (so the teacher's) help, because the dorm supervisor would just take him to the headmaster's office.

"What you need to do now is going to sleep," the nose-face said strictly. Edmund was just about to speak up when Ryder jumped up from his previous place on the step as well.

"Look, this is very important," Ryder supplied. Edmund was surprised that it seemed that at least partly his roommate believed him – maybe not about magic and mythical creatures, but about the fact that he was in dire need of a telephone.

"I – don't – care," the dorm supervisor replied. This was bad, Edmund thought. While the older boy surely wouldn't have a chance against both of them in a fight and Edmund supposed that even alone he would be able to win against him, he wasn't exactly sure that getting into a serious fight was the way. Though, he guessed then the dorm supervisor would surely have to take him to a teacher.

"Detention to you both for the rest of the month," the eighteen-year-old started and as an afterthought he added, "every day." This was most certainly not how Edmund hoped this conversation would work out, but soon the supervisor grabbed his arm. While the guy was big, the reason behind that was mostly fat instead of muscles, so after a few seconds of struggle, Edmund was able to free his arm.

"Just take me to a teacher," he said with a sigh.

"You won't leave this building before morning, but then I assure you, you will be taken to a teacher." Great, it wasn't exactly what Edmund had in mind, because he was pretty sure that morning was all too late for him.

"Why can't you just take him to a teacher?" Ryder asked curiously and this time it was him, who was grabbed, but he was far from strong with his lean built, so the supervisor was holding him and he could hardly move. Edmund thought about helping him, but he imagined what would happen if tomorrow morning the ministry officers arrived with him being suspended for fighting. Surely they wouldn't take him seriously then. No, they had to make a good expression on the English government; they had to show them that they weren't just kids.

"Because I'm not going to give him what he wants. Now, you both are going into your rooms and I will lock all of you in until seven a.m. sharp," he insisted. He was still holding Ryder tightly and as Edmund didn't want to leave his new ally alone with this madman when the supervisor gestured for him to climb the stairs, he did. Once they reached their room, the supervisor actually got the key for the room out of his pocket.

"Now, now, you two remain here and we will see each other in the morning," he said and just as he was closing the door, he added "oh, and two months of detention instead for the entire room, not just you two." Great, so now not only Peter would kill him, but his roommates as well. Once the door was closed (this time with a key) Edmund sat down on his bed and put down his sack by his legs. To his surprise the bed shifted and he met the eyes of Ryder who sat down next to him.

"You could have just fought him, so why didn't you? I would have helped." It didn't exactly surprise Edmund, but he had to admit that he liked the sound of that. Maybe there was more to Ryder than being a light sleeper.

"Well, I'm going away, but you are staying and I didn't want you to be murdered by the rest," he gestured towards the still sleeping boys in the room. "Imagine how many months he would have said if we did anything against him." Ryder remained silent for a moment.

"Isn't your brother going to murder you or what then?" he asked curiously and if it wasn't for the rest of their roommates Edmund would have surly laughed out.

"Most certainly, but hey, it's not like I didn't try. He will understand that I couldn't have got you in trouble as well. Though, it's a shame I wouldn't see his expression when he sees the newspapers tomorrow – or I suppose I should say today – morning. It's most certainly would be entertaining."

"Now I can't wait till I see those articles," Ryder stated. "I don't feel tired at all. Oh, hey, Pevensie, call me Matthew, my friends always do." In the darkness their eyes met and a small smile appeared on Edmund's face.

"It's Edmund then for you not Pevensie," he replied. Well, one of his siblings was surely going to kill him in a gruesome way when morning came and he broke his promise to his sisters, but at least he had a new friend.


	7. VII - The Officer

**Author's note: Hey! Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! (I might update before January, but with family and exams around, you might have to wait a bit for the next chapter. I will admit that the only reason you get this one as a Christmas present is that this was written before the last one where I was kind of stuck.) Yuy, the first Peter chapter! Oh, yes, Edmund was unable to contact Peter, so how will our favourite High King take everything that is going on? I hope you will enjoy it! The next chapter will be in Peter's point of view as well.**

 **As always, thank you for reading, following and favouriting my story. Special thanks to those who have reviewed the last chapter: LizCraft,** **obsessive360, BlueRosette23, AllisonReader, Guest(I), random123games, Guest(II) and Dragons-Twilight1992.**

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" _Life takes us by surprise and orders us to move toward the unknown - even when we don't want to and when we think we don't need to." ― Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept_

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 **VII. The Officer**

He was sitting on his throne in the Great Hall, in his beloved palace. "Consorts?" His voice echoed when he noticed that his siblings were not sitting on either side of him, only his throne was inhibited. He quickly looked around and noticed that while neither his brother nor his sisters were in attendance he was not in fact alone. About half a dozen human noblemen were standing in a half circle in right before him in fine clothing. He was sure that only a moment ago he was alone. Where were the real, the Old Narnians of the council? Every once in a while a human from Earth found his or her way to Narnia, a Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve, but surely not this many. Then there were the human population of the other countries – that would most certainly make sense, but what were they doing there without any of the Narnian royal council in attendance?

"What is happening in Ettinsmoor and on our border is once again inadmissible, my lords," he started the discussion with some uncertainty in his tone. If these were foreign dignitaries then maybe this wasn't the topic that had to be dealt with. However, his consorts would most probably arrive shortly and knowing how long these conversations usually took, he was sure that they would not miss out on much.

"Pevensie, keep your mouth shut," one of the lords suddenly spoke up. The man looked familiar with his goat-like dark beard and curly short and pepper hair, but Peter couldn't name the man which unnerved him as he knew everyone in the court, even all of Su's and Lu's ladies in waiting. Foreign dignitary then. However, the High King felt that the tone and the words of the gentleman were unacceptable. To his surprise none of the other members of the royal council or whatever these men were, spoke up against the insulting utterance.

"M'lord, I ask you to keep the meeting formal and remember to address every attendant with their deserved styles," he cautioned the man.

"Who do you think you are Pevensie?" another one of the men spoke up rather harshly. This one looked older than the other with wrinkled face and gray hair and moustache, but his words rang with the same fire.

"The _High King_ , m'lord," he answered with his temper flaring. Who did this man think _he_ was? Even his _siblings_ , his _consorts_ treated the High King with utter respect. No one in Narnia dared to speak that way to their ruler and he couldn't think of any foreigner who would risk international conflicts just to say what was on his mind.

"Just shut up already!"

"You are nobody!"

"Just a boy, a _commoner_!" Countless similar insults were thrown and the Great Hall became louder and louder. Every one of the lords started speaking at the same time, all shouting insulting things. He felt smaller and smaller with every bad word spoken against him. One part of him believed everything these strange men were saying while another one wanted to speak up and make sure they learned their places.

"PEVENSIE!" Peter opened his eyes and for a long moment he didn't know where he was. How did he end up in bed when he was just having a quarrel with those foreign human lords at the Throne Room? Then suddenly reality came crushing on him – he was not in Cair Paravel, he was not even in his beloved Narnia. He leaned back and tried to remember the dream he just had, but as always the details were slipping away quickly. It was all just a dream. Humans were only native to Narnia after the Telmarine invasion (and even then _native_ was a strong word), it all made sense now. Somehow the two timelines were mashed together in his dream.

"Pevensie, we slept in. Hurry up, we are LATE," he was instructed. Peter opened his mouth to remind the boy of who he was and this was not the way to speak with royalty, but then the realisation came – he was in fact nobody on Earth, just a university student exactly like his roommate. He was in no way better than him or even higher in hierarchy, probably the exact opposite was true, he supposed. From what he knew about Joe Darkwood, the boy's family had money and not only that, but some big history as well with connections and all and the only reason why he wasn't just attending Oxford or Cambridge was that he wanted to break some serious family tradition, he was rebelling this way.

Peter gripped the edge of his bed and once again tried to concentrate on the dream. He couldn't remember the faces or the voices. How many men were there? Were his siblings even with him? Were they insulted just like him? Did he answer them? How old was he? But he remembered the words, and they were echoing in his mind: _Who do you think you are Pevensie? You are nobody! Just a boy, a commoner!_

In this universe what those men – lords, nobles or whatever they were – said were true. It was one of those types of realisations which ruined one's whole day. Peter hardly had the will to get up from the semi-comfortable bed which was nowhere near as cosy as the one had in Narnia, but was still better than nothing. At least in his dreams he could still visit the land which was not his anymore. During his sleep he was once again the High King of Narnia instead of a penniless and nameless student. However, he knew that this was in fact reality for the rest of his life so he got ready for class slowly while Joe was milling around impatiently.

"Just go," growled Peter at him. He was already in bad mood; he was most certainly not going to run to his lecture just because his roommate wanted him to. He was a grown-up as well; he could find their lesson on his own, thank you very much, no escort was needed.

"Why the sour mood? You cannot simply wait till you hear Mr O'Reilly's three hours long lecture on the agriculture during the time of the Greek democracy?" he asked sarcastically. The question reminded Peter of his brother for a moment and he imagined seeing Edmund's fair hair and bright eyes instead of Joe's dark appearance. He shook himself, because the Edmund in his vision was older than the real one who was at the moment at his boarding school and he was wearing Narnian clothing while mocking his elder brother about his activity during one of their study sessions.

"Oh, come on Peter. If I'm going to be late then at least tell me why," Joe asked with clear annoyance in his voice while Peter was putting on his shoes. He paused for a moment trying to figure out what he could tell his new friend as he knew that he most certainly could not share the truth – it was not something that they went around telling everyone. Not that anyone would even believe them. He didn't even believe Lucy when she first found the way through the wardrobe, and she was his little sister. Homesickness, maybe? No, he has told Joe before that he has attended a boarding school and that during the war he was evacuated with only his siblings to the countryside.

"I miss my brother. While I always dearly miss my sisters, I'm used not seeing them every day during the school term, but Ed, well, he has been around all the time for the last few years," he shrugged while he picked up his notes for O'Reilly's lecture. It was somehow the truth, at least part of it, one that an English student with no knowledge of other magical universes could understand. Joe looked at him with intense dark eyes. Had Peter not seen as much as he did he wouldn't have recognized the emotions in his roommate's eyes. However, he was in reality thirty-three years old and has governed a country for fifteen years and was the lead figure in his younger siblings' life for just as long, so experience he had. _Confusion. Shame. Mistrust._

"I have two younger brothers, the older is fifteen, and the younger one is thirteen. I'm mostly annoyed with them, our relationship is hardly ideal. We have attended the same school until now, but I'm quite happy that I'm alone again – and they most certainly will continue family traditions, so they won't be around in the future either." His voice was smooth, but his tone was deep and somewhat solemn. Peter stopped the packing for a moment and then he looked in the dark brown eyes of his somewhat friend. Fifteen and thirteen, just like Ed and Lu. It was hard to imagine not missing them, because his heart ached at the thought of not knowing if they were alright. Still, another part of him knew that the closeness he had with his siblings, the over-protectiveness he felt for them came from those years when he was the father they no longer had and the High King they all respected and sought out for advice. It was the four of them – _four thrones, four consorts, four siblings_. They had each other, but only each other, no one else.

"Every family is different," Peter shrugged not knowing what he should say. "My siblings didn't take it well when my father has left for the war, especially my brother – he went a bit rogue. Our relationship was quite bad for a while, but we made up and now it's better than ever." He was proud of himself – over the years he became rather good in telling the complete truth without ever even mentioning Narnia. They all had to learn how to speak about it without being considered mad after all.

"So, are you ready to go Darkwood?" Peter asked in annoyance as Joe was leaning against the doorframe with a faraway look obviously lost in thought. After all it was the guy who was going on and on how they had to hurry and now he was the one not going.

"Yeah sure, Pevensie," the dark haired boy replied thoughtlessly and Peter passed him roughly. While Edmund was the worst in the family to wake, Peter was a close second. Their sisters always bickered over who was doing it when needed, because neither wanted to do it knowing the consequences – sour mood.

The corridors were empty, so obviously all the other students who ran a bit late were already in class as well. After Joe woke up from his thoughts, he once again felt the need to rush to the lecture, but Peter didn't share his views, so no matter how many times his roommate stopped and gestured for him to hurry, he continued in the pace he chose. While in this world he was nobody and he was controlled by people in upper places, he would not let others on his own level manipulate him as well. Certainly someone like Joseph Darkwood could not tell him how quick his steps should be.

"You are grumpier than usual Pevensie," Joe said when once again he stopped impatiently. Peter snorted.

"You are one to speak, Darkwood," he stated implying that during the last two minutes his roommate has gestured impatiently at least ten times. They have already left the dorms and now they were passing by the offices. The lecture hall where their Greek democracy class was held was just around the corner. Just as they were about to leave the last office, the door of it opened. Peter had to step aside to let a man and a woman out.

The woman he has seen around, though he didn't know her name. She was some sort of secretary he supposed. The man on the other hand wasn't familiar at all. He was an impressive man, Peter supposed in dark tailored clothing, obviously from fine materials. He also held himself with a posture Peter only ever saw by people of the higher circles, who knew that they were important and wanted the world to know it as well. He was a middle aged man, who obviously prided himself of his look and for his age, he was in fact a good shape.

He wasn't exactly sure why he stopped walking altogether; especially when Joe once again shooed him in the direction of their class, but there was something in the man that made Peter straighten his posture as well and at that moment he felt like he was back in Narnia meeting with a delegation of foreign dignitaries for the first time and he wanted to make a good impression on the man like the future of a whole country depended on it.

"Sir McKinley," the secretary started, but before Peter could hear more Joe once again nudged him. The blonde looked at the scene for another moment and then he followed his roommate. Whoever the man was, he most certainly was not here for Peter, his commonsense told him, but part of him ached for going into that office and being part of the obviously important conversation. A man like that was most probably not coming all the way here to speak with a secretary – was he meeting the rector maybe?

"You have obviously lost your marbles, Pevensie. What is up with you?" Joe asked just as they stopped in front of the door of the lecture hall. Officially they weren't supposed to enter once they were late, but it usually didn't stop most students. Peter opened the door and the professor, Mr O'Reilly didn't even seem to notice the pair of them as they took place on the far end of the hall.

Peter was leaning down to get his notes out of his backpack when he first noticed that something was going on. The professor was going on and on about the agriculture during the time of Pericles, but no one seemed to pay any attention to him, which was surprising, because everyone knew that Mr O'Reilly was a tough teacher who cared not what was in books and only wanted to hear the pieces of information during the exam he shared with the class, so all students usually behaved like an angel on this lecture and took notes feverishly.

Now though all around him his classmates were sitting in small groups leaning close to each other and speaking lowly but excitedly about one thing or another, no one even looking in the direction of the professor. Peter looked at Joe in confusion, who he hoped knew more about what was going on than he did, but his roommate seemed just as surprised by the obvious changes in the behaviour of the students as he did.

The closest to them a man was sitting who was a few years older than Peter himself, whose studies were abruptly suspended because of the war. Dawson was his name if Peter remembered well. Not that he was sure, because he didn't like him at all, while the older man seemed to look down on everyone who was too young to join in the war effort. (It was not like it was Peter's fault that by the time he was old enough to join the army, the war was over.) However, there was no one else close enough to get information from, so he leaned closer to the burly man.

"What's going on with everyone?" he hissed under the breath and gestured towards one group and another. Dawson looked at him with obvious disdain, but there was some type of menacing glee on his plain face.

"You really don't know?" Dawson asked with a sneer and when Peter slowly shook his head the older man started to laugh loudly. The younger one cringed when the old professor stopped speaking altogether and looked in their direction with an angry expression only to continue his speech once Dawson stopped laughing.

"Where do you live, _boy_?" First of all, Dawson couldn't be but five years older than Peter was supposed to be, so he found that nickname more than stupid, not to mention that in fact the blonde was a lot older than that if one counted his years on Earth and Narnia as well. Still, he wasn't about to start a fight during a lecture (of Professor O'Reilly no less) even if he dearly wished for one, and he needed to know what was going on after all the kingdom has just entered the time of peace.

"Just tell me," Peter growled, about to lose his patience which was wearing thin. This day started badly enough no need for people like Dawson to ruin it even more. With a shrug the burly man tossed a newspaper to Peter who caught it easily, but he didn't count with Joe, who was obviously just as interested in the news as he was. Joe tore the paper out of his hands and Peter could only get a glimpse of it and saw just two words of the headline: ANOTHER WORLD.

It could mean a lot of things, he knew. Another World War, maybe? But as always since he has been told that he could never go back, his mind wandered to another world, _Narnia_. Surely the news had nothing to do with it – but a part of him wished it did. The idea of never seeing his country again was breaking his heart all over again anytime he thought about it.

"Give me the paper," he instructed Joe, who became paler with every word he read. Not good news then, Peter concluded. He was just about to tear the paper out of the dark haired boy's hands, when the aforementioned boy looked at him with wide eyes.

"Nuts," he simply stated. "According to _The Times_ a portal to another world was opened yesterday in a freaking boarding school. To another universe and a magical one at that." From what the professor told them most probably Narnia wasn't the only other existing universe besides Earth, but at that moment Peter was sure that the newspaper was in fact speaking about the land he loved. There was no logic behind that strong belief, but a lot of hope and a sense of belonging. Where else would a portal lead if not to the place he hoped to see again?

He quickly grabbed the paper from his friend's table and his eyes scanned the first page. With bold letters the title was: A PORTAL IN ENGLAND LEADING TO ANOTHER WORLD

A few words stood out to him: Narnia (his heart skipped a beat the moment he read that), school ground, Saint Finbar's (he was breathless by this point, because he immediately recognized the name of the school), centaur, talking hare, military, headmistress, students and evacuation.

Before he could read the article and not just scan it through, the door once again opened. He was surprised that someone was even less reluctant than he was to come to class, but to his biggest surprise it was not a student standing in the door, but two men. The first one he has just seen, the elegant middle aged man who was talking to the secretary before and the other man was someone even more surprising, the principal who he has only seen during the year opening ceremony.

Had this happened a moment ago, he would have scoffed at the idea that the reason these two (obviously) important people were in the room was him, but the school's name in the newspaper told a story two certain girls did not. His sisters attended Saint Finbar's Academy for Young Women and if he knew his youngest sibling at all then she would never just go home when a portal opened to Narnia of all places.

The professor usually was a rather calm man, but today he was most probably interrupted more times than in the last year altogether, so once again he stopped impatiently only to notice who the guests were.

"Principal," the professor stuttered. While the university was in name led by the chancellor the day-to-day operations were typically handled by the principal, and the big man in question was not usually seen during lectures. Peter remained stoic while everyone else gaped.

"Professor," the principal greeted the poor old man, while the other intruder nodded, though his attention seemed to be elsewhere. The man's eyes searched the rows of students and at the moment Peter was sure that he was the one they were looking for. What on Earth have his little siblings done now? The problem was that he had a fairly good idea what was going on and already a headache was forming. It was one thing that the girls went around telling that they knew about the other universe and another not to tell him what was going on. Lucy losing her senses when it came to Narnia he understood, but what about Susan? And Aslan, where was Edmund in this story? At that moment he remembered all too well how hard it was sometimes to govern with three younger siblings, as his consorts quite frequently meant trouble.

"What can I do for you, principal?" the professor asked with confusion. The mutters which were presented all morning grew louder. Peter caught a few words and he was not surprised that many had an idea that this surprise visit had something to do with the newspaper and its headline. People liked theories and sometimes the most extreme ones were true – after all this was a university in Scotland, it certainly did not have much in common with another universe or even the government of the country.

"We are looking for one Mr Peter Pevensie." Peter remained calm, but he slowly got up. Joe looked at him with wide eyes and muttered something along the lines, "What have you done?" The blonde easily gestured towards the front page of the newspaper knowing that if what he thought was going on his name would be soon in the papers anyway and he also knew that his roommate wouldn't understand the implications.

"What?" Joe asked, but Peter just got his stuff while everyone was calling out to him. He stopped in front of the leader of the university and the yet unidentified man who he supposed was from either the government or from the military. Though, with the war just ending, it was not uncommon for someone to belong to both categories.

"Mr Pevensie?" the principal asked and he was not surprised to be watched with hawk's eyes. Both men studied him like they have never seen anything as interesting before as he was, which was funny Peter supposed, because he most certainly didn't seem much. He was tall and broad-shouldered, but he knew that these men expected more than that, they hoped to see the High King of a magical kingdom they have only just heard about. (Though he was quite curious what their reaction would be to his baby sister then, who was in fact his consort yet she was only thirteen here and looked like a cute teen.)

"Yes, sir," he replied. The man showed him out, while Peter noted that the lecture hasn't yet continued. Once they were outside both elder men stopped walking and turned their entire attention to him.

"I assume that you know why we are here," the unknown man stated which Peter found a bit funny as he didn't even exactly know who the man was. However, this was not the moment for jokes, he knew. For the first time in his life he was supposed to be the High King in Britain. It was a rather strange idea actually as only recently he has accepted that he was no longer royalty and on Earth he never would be. Yes, until now Mr Peter Pevensie was nothing like His Majesty, High King Peter the Magnificent.

"I saw the papers. I assume it has to do with my sisters." While he had inkling what was going on, he couldn't know how much those two (or maybe even three, who knew what was up with Edmund) have shared. Obviously these men wanted to meet him about Narnia, but maybe they only knew that Peter had information about the other universe. He wasn't about to share all his cards, first these men had to offer something in exchange.

"I suppose we should continue this conversation in my office, in bigger privacy," the principal offered and after a quick agreement the other two followed the university's leader without a word. The office was just down the corridor, only a few doors away from the office where Peter first saw the other man. It was a light and big office which was in complete order. He was offered a seat, but to his surprise the other man sat besides the principal, right in front of him, so he felt like he was being interrogated, a feeling he didn't like a bit.

"The reason why we are all here today has in fact to do with today's news and your sisters." Not surprising at all (though the plural form meant that Susan was on this as well, which was somewhat strange especially considering that recently she even pretended that Narnia was not real). Peter just nodded while both men looked at him searching for more.

"I haven't read the newspaper I am afraid, so I only have a general idea of what is going on, but I believe you are interested in Narnia," he simply stated.

"Mr Pevensie, this is Sir McKinley of the Foreign Office, the department responsible for correspondence and negotiations with other states and the conduct of British foreign policy." Peter greeted the man, but he was rather sad that the exact position of the man wasn't shared with him. Not that he thought that Sir McKinley was on the end of the hierarchy, a secretary of some sort; it was rather obvious that the man had power. _The Foreign Office_ , that caused some amusement to Peter, though he guessed Narnia was in fact a foreign land to these people and in the eye of the government.

"Are my sisters in good health and are they safe?" the youngest occupant of the room asked. He was so far treated rather fairly, but he had to know what was going on with Lu and Su. He couldn't see the government tossing them into a prison if they didn't want a war with an unknown universe, but the fact was that he didn't know the English government and their methods as well as any rulers' in Narnia. His question seemed to surprise the older gentlemen though.

"Of course, Mr Pevensie. As representative of the government and the Foreign Office I have the authority to tell you that they are in fact considered foreign dignitaries and the representatives of Narnia and they are treated according to their station." Oh, Aslan, they really did it. Peter liked battlefields more than councils or even offices, (he liked to leave that to Su and Ed) but he didn't lose it, he was a ruling monarch far too long for that. He simply nodded and thanked the officer.

"What about my brother?" he asked again. The two men shared a look.

"Mr Edmund Pevensie has just recently joined your sisters as you are expected to do as well, because they have asked for you." So, it was all the girls' doing, but Edmund was on it as well. At least he knew who he had to murder if this got out of hand. The men looked at him as if they were waiting for more, but Peter wasn't about to say to these men anything without those three rascals. They had enough problems already caused by the youngest three; he wasn't about to cause more.

The whole situation seemed impossible. Here he was sitting in the principal's office with some big guy from the ministry while his siblings were playing monarchs in England. Not to mention that everyone knew about Narnia, a world that was entirely unknown to pretty much anyone except for them until now. Maybe he didn't even wake up and this was still part of the dream, it would certainly make more sense than this being reality.

Oh, Aslan, I need your guidance, he thought bitterly cursing Lu and Su (and possibly Ed) for putting him in a situation like this without a warning. While he dearly loved his younger siblings at that moment he would have preferred to be an only child.

 _What was even going on?_


End file.
